As CBD continues to generate buzz for its many health benefits and receives its stamp of approval from the medical community, many people want to know if CBD will show up on a drug test. Whether you use CBD recreationally or to treat pain, anxiety, insomnia, or any of the other conditions which CBD is known to help with, if it will show up on a drug test is an important question, especially when one’s livelihood is on the line.

If you are being tested by your employer or through a court order, you can rest easy that CBD will not show up on the typical drug test. Below is a guide to help you understand why using CBD is safe - and how to ensure that the CBD you are using is safe - from testing positive on drug screenings.

How Drug Tests Work

The reasons behind companies choosing to test their employees for drugs has to do with safety, legal protection, improved productivity, or federal mandates. If an employee is taking drugs which cause impairment, it can lead to problems in the areas above.

CBD derived from hemp is non-psychoactive as it contains less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive compound which causes a "high"). Cannabis products which contain high amounts of  THC – like marijuana - do cause impairment, and that's what drug screenings are testing for.

Most employers use either a 5-panel or 10-panel drug screen, both of which test for THC-COOH, which is what THC turns in to after it’s metabolized by the body. In addition to THC, the 5-panel drug screen also tests for cocaine, opiates, PCP, and amphetamines/methamphetamines. The 10-panel screen tests for the same substances as the 5- panel, plus more recreational and pharmaceutical drugs, including barbiturates, propoxyphene, benzodiazepines, methadone, and propoxyphene. The most common method of drug testing is using a urine sample.

Hemp-derived CBD products can legally contain up to 0.3% THC. If you regularly consume incredibly high doses of CBD products, between 1,000 and 2,000 mg a day, it could trigger a false-positive result showing minute traces of THC (not CBD). However, it is highly unlikely that it would surpass the federal limit of 50 nanograms THC metabolite per milliliter of urine.

The bottom line is that employers and other administrators are not testing for CBD, because it does not put them at risk when it comes to legal protection, productivity, safety, or federal mandates.

CBD and Medical Tests

As CBD can have harmful interactions with other drugs, medical professionals need to know about CBD consumption before prescribing medication and before surgery, as mixing cannabis with anesthesia can be dangerous because both are sedatives. This is why doctors conduct a pre-surgery drug screening to ensure all chemicals and medications currently in your system be identified prior to putting you under. It’s always best to provide full disclosure about your CBD use to medical professionals for these reasons.

How to Play It Safe

It’s always a smart idea to check your company’s policy regardless of CBD’s legality in your state. Even though it’s unlikely that your employment drug testing will at some point screen specifically for CBD, if there’s a chance that a corporate insurance provider views CBD as a threat, you should be aware of this ahead of time.

 While CBD will not show up on a drug test, you should still ensure that the CBD products you are ingesting are as pure as possible. Some CBD products can have more THC than others, and that can increase the risk of a positive test result.

Gold Standard CBD Honey Stix are THC-free and an excellent option for anyone looking to incorporate CBD into their daily life without the fear of failing a drug test. Learn more about Gold Standard CBD and shop from our various THC-free product selections to enjoy all the benefits of CBD without any concern that it show up on a drug test.