How Long Does Synthetic Marijuana Stay in Your System?

​Sometimes, when people are getting ready to take the life insurance drug test, we’ll get questions like, “how long does synthetic marijuana stay in your system?” (We get the question about lots of other drugs, too.) The question isn’t as straightforward to answer as we’d like since the chemical compounds between different manufacturers vary. 

Note: We are not medical professionals. We help people find affordable life insurance with marijuana use, whether it’s recreational or medical. This article is for information purposes only. Talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing any harmful effects.

Quick Takeaways 

Life insurance drug tests typically test a urine sample, which has a detection time of between three and four days. For a saliva test or blood test, those windows are shorter, in the 48-hour range. However, testing hair follicles can detect metabolites months after the last use. There’s some more nuance in testing for the use of synthetic cannabinoids that we’ll cover below. 

What is Synthetic Marijuana? 

Synthetic marijuana is a chemically manufactured product that mimics the effects of cannabis. These products are often marketed under the terms K2 or Spice – not to be confused with Spice from the Dune series, which lets spaceship navigators accurately chart courses between the stars. (Synthetic marijuana does not allow for space travel.)

It’s generally not even synthesized with the cannabinoids from marijuana plants. These are lab-grown chemicals. As such, the contents of one brand may vary widely from the next brand on the shelf.

Synthetic marijuana tends toward products that you either smoke or vape, much like naturally derived THC products. However, consumers report a larger variety of more intense side effects.

Growing Popularity & Use 

Synthetic marijuana has been growing in popularity for a few reasons.

Difficulty to detect in standard drug tests. When standard drug tests are focused on finding THC, if there’s no THC chemical in your synthetic cannabis, it won’t show up on the drug test. It’s not a foolproof way to pass a drug test, but it does increase the product’s popularity when there’s a need for discretion.

Increasing accessibility. The funny thing about regulating drugs is that the laws have to define specifically what they’re trying to regulate. Depending on your locality, products may be developing faster than local governments can regulate them.

Misconception of safety vs. natural cannabis. Some misinformation is floating around the internet that a synthetic version is somehow safer. It’s a difficult claim to back up since proper medical studies are the only way to know. Since we don’t really have those…it’s…well, you know…marketing.

Composition of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Risk factors aside, there are some upsides to being able to create synthetic cannabis.

You probably guessed the big one: control. Chemists can tailor the chemical composition to create unique and novel effects that would take biologists years to breed into natural cannabis, if ever.

It also allows isolation for medical studies to determine how each specific cannabinoid affects the human endocannabinoid system. Some studies have led to discoveries in the therapeutic effects of marijuana for medical patients, including pain management and nausea reduction. There’s even promising progress in potential anti-cancer effects. But exercise caution because these are not the versions you would find in a convenience store or even head shops.

There is also control over creation. Farming practices, sprays, and fertilizers have caused some consumers to be concerned about what exactly has been done to the plant material they’re smoking.

While there is potential, there is also risk depending on the integrity of the manufacturing company. Since it’s unregulated and generally untested before arriving on the market, there is a much higher risk of different effects from what one desires. Medical professionals consider the current iteration of synthetics squarely in the “not safe” category.

How Long Does Synthetic Marijuana Stay In Your System? 

There are a number of factors that come into play, so it’s more complex of an answer than one might hope.

These include:

• Frequency of use
• Length of time of regular consumption
• Quantity consumed
• Metabolism
• Type of drug test

In natural cannabis, the THC binds to fat and is stored in the body’s fat reserves, making it detectable for four to six weeks. However, in heavy smokers, it could be up to three months in standard urinalysis tests. Synthetic cannabinoid products, by contrast, are typically only detectable for three or four days. Again, this varies by person, type of test, how much they’ve been consuming, and the amount of time. It can last much longer for long periods of consumption, even when urine testing is performed.

A hair test, depending on the length and treatment of the hair, can still show signs of synthetic weed for months.

Metabolism and Breakdown of Synthetic Cannabinoids 

Your liver processes the chemicals in synthetic marijuana. The metabolites produced from this process are detectable in blood, urine, and hair. Hair is typically what retains indications of drug use the longest. Depending on what chemicals the manufacturers used, the detection time varies.

Legal Status of Synthetic Drugs 

Here in the United States, the federal government has banned many specific types of synthetic cannabis. There are also federal and state laws that have banned general categories of chemicals rather than trying to target every iteration.

Manufacturers usually get around this by calling it herbal incense and labeling it “not for human consumption.”

The CDC has more information here: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/chemicals/sc/About.html 

How Does Synthetic Marijuana Affect Life Insurance?

Insurance companies consider drug use a risk factor, particularly with synthetic marijuana being illegal in many forms in most places. However, many companies may not test for it since there are such a variety of chemicals to test for. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility.

The better option, as far as your life insurance is concerned, is to stick with natural cannabis and use one of these 12 marijuana-friendly companies that won’t penalize you. Often, they won’t even charge you smoker rates.

If you have any questions about getting life insurance while enjoying your hobbies, give us a call at (888) 987-8447.