Saliva testing is a very useful tool to detect drugs of abuse in the body fluids and has been used successfully by law enforcement agencies around the world since 1990.
When a person smokes marijuana, it will be found in his/her saliva within 2-3 hours after smoking.
If you are using cannabis more than once or twice a week, it could take longer for your body to get rid of the high because of its long half-life. The effect can last up to 5 days after use.
But, how do these tests work, and how long will THC stay in your saliva glands? In this article, we are going to explore these questions and much more. So, let’s get started!
A Bit About Cannabis Saliva Drug Tests
Marijuana testing is quite common, the most frequently used way of testing for drugs in your system will be a blood or urine test. But, doing a saliva test can be a pretty quick and cheap way of doing testing too.
If you’re thinking about getting a job where they do marijuana tests, then it might be worth finding out how long THC stays in your mouth.
This article explains what happens to THC after smoking or eating cannabis and why this could affect the results of a saliva test.
What Happens To THC After Smoking/Eating Cannabis?
The first thing that comes into your body when you smoke cannabis is THC – the active ingredient in marijuana.
When you inhale cannabis through your lungs, some of the THC goes straight into your bloodstream while the rest gets absorbed by your lung tissue.
Some of the THC also gets swallowed with food and drink but not all of it. The amount of THC that doesn’t get absorbed by your stomach lining is excreted from your body in your feces.
THC is stored in fat cells so if you eat lots of fatty foods it will stay there longer than normal. So, if you have eaten a lot of greasy food before taking a marijuana test, it may take more time for the THC to leave your system.
Your liver breaks down the THC into various chemicals including 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC which is one of the main metabolites of THC. It’s these chemicals that are being tested during a marijuana test.
The half-life of THC in the human body is around 4 hours.
Why Does THC Stay In Your Mouth For Longer Than Other Drugs?
So, why does THC stay in your mouth for longer than other drugs? Well, as mentioned above, THC is stored in your fat cells. If you eat lots of fatty food before taking a marijuana drug test, it will stay there longer.
Also, THC has been shown to bind to proteins in your mouth, so the longer you chew something the higher the concentration of THC.
So, if you want to make sure that your marijuana test is accurate, don’t eat anything else just before the test. You should also wait at least an hour after you smoked or ate cannabis before taking a marijuana drug screen.
Saliva Test Results May Be Affected By What You Eat And Drink Before Taking A Marijuana Test
There are many different types of marijuana drug tests. Some companies only test for delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the main psychoactive component of cannabis. Others test for all cannabinoids found in marijuana including cannabidiol (CBD).
How Do Saliva Drug Tests Work?
The most common way to perform a saliva drug test is through an oral swab or cotton ball. The sample of your spit is then placed into the testing device and tested.
If you are using any form of cannabis, this can be used as evidence that you were under the influence of the substance at some point.
Many people believe that it is impossible for someone else to give you a drug after you have already consumed it. However, there are many cases where people have given others drugs without knowing it.
This is why taking a saliva drug test may be beneficial if you want to avoid being charged with crimes such as driving while impaired (DWI).
There are many different types of saliva tests available on the market today. There are also several ways to take them.
Some require you to place the sample directly into the machine; whereas other tests will allow you to keep the sample on hand until they are ready to test.
What Are THC Levels Like After Using Weed?
Because THC levels will change depending on several factors, there is no single number that represents a person’s level.
Some people report feeling high immediately after smoking, while others may only feel an effect around 24 hours later. However, many people find that their THC levels peak between 12-24 hours after consuming cannabis.
How Long Will THC Be Present In Saliva?
One thing to note about THC is that it has a half-life of anywhere between 5-7 hours. That means that you could have a detectable amount of THC in your saliva for at least 7 hours after you smoked. Depending on the method of ingestion, that time period could be even shorter.
For example, edibles generally take longer to start working. Another thing to consider is that THC levels tend to drop off more quickly once you stop smoking.
So, if you smoked just recently, you might still have a detectable amount of marijuana in your saliva.
Are There Other Facts That Will Affect A Saliva Drug Test?
There are certain things that will affect how long THC remains in your body. A few of these include:
How Much You Smoke
Smoking less than 1 gram per day will result in lower THC levels in your system.
When You Consume Cannabis
Eating right before bedtime, when you wake up in the morning, or during the middle of the night, all seem to increase the amount of THC your body absorbs.
Whether, Or Not, You Eat Anything Beforehand
The presence of food in your stomach reduces the absorption rate of THC.
How Old You Are
Older users have a slower metabolism, which leads to higher amounts of THC remaining in your system.
If you plan on submitting yourself to a saliva drug test, make sure you know what kind of results you should expect!
Are There Ways To Reduce The Amount Of Time Marijuana Stays In Saliva?
Since THC stays in your system for so long, you may wonder whether there are ways to reduce its effects. One great tip would be to use a vaporizer instead of traditional cigarettes.
Vaporizers heat the cannabis to very low temperatures, which helps it absorb faster into your bloodstream.
Additionally, vaping causes fewer harmful chemicals to enter your lungs. If you vape regularly, you may notice that your tolerance builds up over time. You will need to adjust your dosage accordingly.
Another option is to drink water with lemon juice. Lemon juice contains citric acid, and citric acid can break down THC molecules by dissolving them. This makes it easier for your liver to process the THC.
Lemon juice alone isn’t enough though. You need both lemon juice and water because the citric acid doesn’t dissolve as well without water.
You can also speed up the breakdown of THC by exposing it to UV light. In fact, some companies create products specifically designed to do this.
These types of devices work by exposing the THC to specific wavelengths of light. They then destroy the THC by breaking down the chemical bonds that hold together the molecule.
It’s important to keep in mind that these methods aren’t 100% effective. Some people have found that they don’t always completely eliminate the THC from their systems. However, these methods typically remove 90%+ of THC within 30 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Saliva tests are among the most widely used drug tests today. As such, knowing what kinds of results you should expect before taking one is critical. We hope this article gives you an idea of what to expect when you submit yourself for a saliva drug test.
Of course, if you want more information about saliva testing, we recommend you do additional research. There, you’ll find everything from tips on getting started with saliva testing to explanations of different drugs that might show up in a saliva sample.
As a quick side note, remember that cannabis is not legal in all states. So make sure that you check what the law says where you live before you think about getting your hands on pot.
We hope this post has answered any questions you had about how long marijuana remains in your system after smoking it. Thank you for reading!
My name is David Lumis and I am a self-proclaimed smoker. Five years ago, after I had been made redundant from my job as an engineer, my anxiety hit an all time peak. I have always struggled with it since I was a teenager, but that life event sent me into overdrive.
My story is exactly why I want to educate more people about cannabis and show them that it isn’t a dirty drug, but a form of medicine. If you are struggling, I urge you to read through this site to see how cannabis can help you.
