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How Can I Get Weed Out of My System?

Written by Hirania Luzardo, Alice Twu
Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on March 10, 2025
7 min read

Many states now allow marijuana, or weed, for medical or recreational use. And more Americans are using it than ever, whether they're vaping it, smoking it, or consuming it in products like brownies, cookies, gummies, drinks, and even popcorn. In a 2023 poll, about 42% of Americans ages 19-30 reported having used weed in the past year. 

But some states still ban weed, and many employers require drug tests as a condition of employment. So you may wonder how long it takes for weed to leave your body after you stop using it and whether there are ways to get weed out of your system faster. 

There's no simple answer to these questions, since everyone's body and situation is different.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the compound that causes the high from marijuana. If you smoke or vape weed, THC enters your bloodstream through your lungs, then moves to your brain and other organs. If you eat or drink it, THC is absorbed into your bloodstream through your liver. 

Most of the weed leaves your body fairly quickly through pee or poop. Approximately 65% goes out in poop, and 20% when you pee. But some components of it, called metabolites, get stored in the fatty tissues of your body. Over time, these metabolites are slowly released into your blood. They're then metabolized by your liver, and eventually released in pee or poop.

The more often you use weed, the more metabolites can build up. That's why THC can still appear on a drug test for weeks after you use weed.

 

 How long weed stays in your system depends on several things, including:

  • How often you use it 
  • The amount of THC in the weed you use
  • Whether you inhale or eat it it 
  • Your metabolism  
  • Your sex, how hydrated you are, your body mass index (BMI), and your health, lifestyle, and genes

It varies a lot, but here’s how long various types of tests may be able to detect THC:

  • Blood test: Up to 12 hours after you last use weed
  • Hair test: Up to 90 days 
  • Spit test: Up to 24 hours
  • Pee test: Up to 30 days (or even longer if you're a very heavy weed user)

How long will one smoke session stay in your system?

The time THC remains in your body after a single smoke session varies depending on the things mentioned above as well as the type of drug test you take. But in general, if you use weed just one time, tests might detect THC for up to 72 hours (three days) afterward.

 

 

The most common type of drug test is a pee, or urine, test. The test is cheap, and results can be ready in as little as 10 minutes.

These tests look for traces of THC or its metabolites in a sample of your pee. How long they can detect THC after you've last used weed depends on how weed much you use: 

  • One-time use: Up to three days
  • Moderate use (four times a week): 5-7 days
  • Once-daily use: 10-15 days
  • Heavy use: 30 days or more

Because THC leaves your bloodstream fairly quickly, blood tests for weed use aren't as effective as pee tests.. That's why they're  not as commonly used.

 

A hair test looks at a sample of your hair from near your scalp to see whether it contains components of THC. This test is used to check for long-term and heavy marijuana use. Smoking or having an edible once or twice may not show up in this test. 

THC takes time to build up in your hair follicles. If you use weed today, it won’t show in a hair test until seven to 10 days later. But THC metabolites can show up in new hair growth for up to three months after you last use weed.  

 

 

When you eat or drink marijuana, THC moves into your organs and bloodstream more slowly than when you inhale it. And the high tends to last longer. 

Drug tests can detect THC from edibles because your liver breaks down THC into metabolites whether it enters your bloodstream through your lungs or your stomach. 

You might expect a drug test to find THC in your pee for up to a week after you have an edible -- longer if you have them often.   

 

 

Some people try to get THC out of their systems more quickly by drinking lots of liquids or using "detox kits" you can buy. But there's no scientific evidence that there's any way to help your body metabolize weed more quickly. The only way to make sure you pass a drug test is to stay away from weed. 

THC detox kits

THC detox kits are marketed to people who want to pass a urine test after using weed. While these kits are popular, their production is largely unregulated, there may be no quality control, and they can contain ingredients that aren't listed on the labels. Some can even be harmful.

THC detox kits usually come as drinks, teas, or powders. Some have herbs, vitamins, or other ingredients that cause you to pee more.

Some common ingredients include:

  • "Detox" herbs like burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle
  • Diuretic ingredients like green tea, coffee, or cranberry extract to make you pee 
  • Fiber to promote pooping
  • Electrolyte supplements to keep you from getting dehydrated
  • Vitamins B2 and B12 to help keep your pee color normal, since clear pee might look suspicious.

Not only is there no proof that THC detox kits work, but they also could cause uncomfortable side effects like:

  • Upset stomach
  • Frequent peeing
  • Dehydration
  • A mineral imbalance

In at least once case, a person developed symptoms of psychosis after using one of these detox kits.

People also try other ways to cheat drug tests, but these methods aren't reliable and often raise red flags.  In some states, it's illegal to defraud a drug test. 

Here are a few common ones:

  • Adding chemicals to pee. Some people try to mix vinegar, bleach, or eye drops into their pee to hide THC. Labs can easily detect these substances.
  • Pee "cleansers." Some products claim to "clean" pee, but drug tests can often detect these ingredients.
  • Using synthetic pee. Some try to submit fake pee. But many labs check temperature, pH levels, and other signs.
  • Using someone else's pee. Some people try to sneak in clean pee from another person, but supervised tests or temperature checks often catch this.

If you need help stopping weed use, consider seeking professional support. There are some things you can do to keep yourself more comfortable during the detox process:

  • Drink plenty of water and other clear liquids.
  • Take warm showers to help you relax and ease aches and pains.
  • Eat nutritious foods.
  • Limit caffeine to help control anxiety and improve sleep.
  • Exercise regularly to boost your mood.

How long does weed stay in your system? There's no simple answer since everyone's body and situation is different. Among the things that influence how long a drug test can detect weed use are your metabolism, how often you use weed, how strong it is, and what type of test you're taking.  

How is marijuana excreted from the body?

Marijuana's components leave your body through pee and poop. Most leave your body quickly after it enters your bloodstream. But some are stored in your body's fatty tissues for a time before your liver metabolizes them. 

How long does it take for marijuana concentrate to leave your system?

How long THC, the active ingredient in weed, stays in your system depends on several things. They include:

  • How often you use it
  • The amount of THC in your weed
  • The way you consume it
  • Your metabolism
  • Your hydration levels
  • Your overall health and lifestyle
  • Your genes

With occasional use, it might clear in a few days. For a heavy user, it can take several weeks.

 How long do you stay high after ingesting marijuana?

The high from weed can last over six hours, depending on the dose, your metabolism, and your tolerance level. Edibles take longer to kick in, (usually 30 minutes to two hours), but the effects last much longer than smoking or vaping.