Does Delta 8 Show Up On Drug Tests?

So you’ve bought into the Delta 8 craze, but now you have a drug test coming up. Oh no! You’re probably worried about whether or not Delta 8 will show up on your drug test. Luckily, we have the answers–although you may not like them.

Buckle up and get ready to learn about Delta 8, its legality, its potential to show up on drug tests, and some of the more common drug tests used to detect cannabis. 

What’s Delta 8?

Delta 8 is a psychoactive form of THC derived from hemp plants. 

Its effects are milder than those of Delta 9, which is the form of THC you’re likely most familiar with. Along the same lines, its side effects are reported to be more mild too–making it the perfect solution for those who experience a lot of paranoia when consuming cannabis.

Is Delta 8 Legal?

Delta 8 is legal because of the 2018 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill defines hemp as containing less than .3% THC. It also makes all hemp-derived products federally legal.

This opened the floodgates for cannabis products, as manufacturers found a huge market for hemp-derived THC products. Although there isn’t much THC in hemp, it’s still there–and ready to be extracted!

Soon enough, Delta 8, Delta 10, THC-0, and more were hitting the shelves. 

Some states have made Delta 8 either outright illegal or made its legality a bit blurry, but on a federal level Delta 8–and all of these other products–are fully legal.

The opposition argues that these products aren’t safe since they aren’t regulated or tested by the FDA. Although safety concerns are warranted, there are ways to ensure your product is safe.

When buying a Delta 8 product, look for companies that employ third-party testing to make sure your product is safe and pure of abnormalities.

Does Delta 8 Show Up on Drug Tests?

Delta 8 has the potential to show up on drug tests because drug tests don’t know the difference between the different forms of THC. 

Like always, whether or not the THC shows up on your test depends on how much Delta 8 you’ve consumed, how long ago you consumed it, what kind of drug test it is, how your body metabolizes THC, and more.

How Do Cannabis Drug Tests Work?

The most common cannabis drug tests are:

• Blood 
• Duquenois–Levine reagent 
• Hair 
• Urine 

Let’s dip our toes into these tests and learn a little more!

Blood Testing

Cannabis can be found in the blood for up to a week if you’re a heavy user, but casual use typically only stays in the blood for a day–sometimes as little as 12 hours. This is what we mean when we say that it depends on the test and the amount of use as to whether or not Delta 8 will show up on your test!

Duquenois–Levine Reagent Testing

The Duquenois-Levine reagent cannabis test has been the test of choice of the United Nations since the 1950s. The test consists of a chemical reaction that results in a color change; a purple result indicates cannabis.

The color change can often be incredibly faint and strong lighting is required to ensure proper reading of the results.

Hair Testing

Hair tests use the first 1 ½ inches of hair growing out of the scalp for the test. They can usually detect cannabis for around 90 days–much longer than blood testing!

If the hair collected is shorter than 1 ½ inches, the window of detection time will decrease. It’s important to collect the newest hair growth because hair tests work by detecting the cannabis found in your hairshafts, which are closest to the scalp. 

Urine Testing

Urine testing timeframes vary widely depending on the frequency of use and the percent of body fat found in the individual. As a general rule of thumb, cannabis can be found in urine for a few days after infrequent use and for up to 30 days in those with heavy use and/or a high level of body fat.

It also depends on how sensitive the test is. Some urine tests can detect very small amounts of cannabis, while those that can’t have a shorter window of detection.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of different ways to test for Delta 8, and unfortunately, it’s likely to show up on most of them.

That being said, your window of opportunity varies greatly depending on the type of test, how heavily you use Delta 8, your metabolism, your body fat percentage, and more.

Ultimately, if you know you have a drug test coming up, you should stop using Delta 8 until the test is over. But please, don’t shoot the messenger!