You may be using cannabis for medical purposes or its stress-relieving and mood-balancing benefits. But job testing and strict workplace policies can force anyone to seek ways of keeping their weed exposure under the radar by searching for the best marijuana detox solutions when the drug test is looming.
No doubt, abstaining from cannabinoids in advance of the test is your best bet. However, with an array of short-term and long-term cleansing formulas touted as the best detox for marijuana, could this really be less of a tedious journey and more of a guaranteed result? Do such products work for test clearance?
The answers you’re looking for are to be disclosed in this blog.
The effects of the best marijuana detox solutions
The science behind the promised results of THC-cleansing wonder products is simple and based on your body’s pathways of THC metabolization and excretion. Typically, detox pills and kits are formulated for 5-10 days of use, which is the natural timespan for 80% of cannabinoids being expelled from the body.
The best ways to detox from marijuana aren’t magic potions to flush it out. By enhancing the body’s detoxification process, they speed it up and only remove metabolites a few days before their natural due course of elimination.
However, the timeframe for testing clear is never an exact value. It is as unique as the individual’s usage patterns, physiology, metabolic rates, and enzyme breakdown efficiency. It can’t be measured or estimated, let alone guaranteed.
What is the best marijuana detox method made of?
Detox drinks and pills mainly contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, or natural extracts that are:
- Teeming with antioxidants
- Known to support liver function
- Effective for speeding up metabolism
- Rich in diuretic effects
Some may include electrolytes and fiber or probiotics. Others have energy-boosting additives to improve mental clarity. Depending on the brand and formula, you either get a blend of ingredients to support the body’s THC-metabolizing functions or a quick-fix product that promises to temporarily mask the presence of metabolites.
Neither is a reliable solution to pass a drug test. The amount and purity of the ingredients contained in detoxification kits are rarely regulated. And yet, it is the steep price of such products that remains the most discouraging factor for those seeking an express weed cleanse.
Detox remedies to be used at home
If you can’t afford a hyped-over kit, you can use home weed detox tips and recipes to incorporate into your diet:
- Cranberry juice
- Green tea
- Lemon water
- Aloe vera and lemon juice drink
- Dandelion root, bearberry, or burdock root tea
- Ginger tea
- Apple cider vinegar
- Gatorade and fruit pectin (the Certo method)
Still, these recipes and their ingredients are only someone’s opinion about the best detox for marijuana. They may be less helpful for others.
Water: Efficient but not sufficient
Hydration and sleep are crucial for supporting the body’s natural toxin-cleansing processes. So, Time + Fluids is a surefire method that may work just as well as the majority of flush-your-system kits and drinks.
Don’t have at least a few days’ time? The common detoxification recommendation you can find online is drinking as much water as you can, especially for 2 hours prior to the test.
This used to work when urine was not tested for essential natural parameters such as creatinine levels that are off when you overhydrate. But today, your result will likely be a “Dilute Negative,” which isn’t as good as it may sound. At best, it will be considered acceptable and require rescheduling your test to submit another sample. At worst, you will fail.
Laxatives and fiber: Questionable
Taking laxatives rather than diuretics (or both) is an old-school best detox for marijuana, as most metabolites are excreted via the bowels. However, this method poses a high risk of dehydration, not to mention the inconvenience of staying toilet-ridden for a few days.
Eating more food to increase your bowel movements is a safer strategy, provided you consume mostly fiber and lean protein. Otherwise, it will result in more body fat, which is responsible for the accumulation and retention of pesky metabolites.
Several days of intense exercising and dieting followed by eating large amounts of food (or even including really fatty stuff) is another tip you can come across. This method is supposed to “cover the weed fat with clean fat” to smooth out the effect that cannabinoids stored in your fat cells can have on your drug test.
While it isn’t likely to work as fast as some users claim, vigorously exercising is recommended by nearly everyone who has tried cranking their metabolism before an impending test.
The Certo method: Quite effective yet inconvenient
When on your detoxification journey, you can consume fruit pectin that absorbs metabolites for a 1-2-hour window of cleaner urine. While redirecting these metabolites to the bowel, this method often causes diarrhea and requires drinking a lot (you are likely to test “Dilute Negative”).
That said, taking electrolytes, B vitamins, and creatine may help maintain the natural parameters and yellowish tone of your urine.
Midday and midstream pee: Best for all
Your morning urine is the most concentrated and laden with toxins. That’s why it is normally darker in color. For all weed users – light or moderate – midday urine sampling is the best strategy for testing clear, regardless of whether they are following any other marijuana detox best practices or not.
Even heavy smokers can avoid getting busted for weed when abstaining and detoxifying for a week and then relying on the Midday and Midstream Pee method. Those who buy home test kits to estimate how long traces of cannabinoids will linger may notice testing positive in the morning while getting a clean sample in the afternoon.
Final thoughts on the best way to detox and marijuana compounds
The research on the effects of detox supplements and their ingredients is limited. Due to the extreme individual variability of results, it is hard to assess their effectiveness. Most importantly, cannabinoids need to be metabolized before they are excreted renally or with the feces. Your body can’t discharge them faster than they are processed by the liver. That’s why excess flushing with diuretic or laxative substances and chugging down water may not help much.
Ironically, it is impossible to determine or predict the result of a drug test without actually taking it. But you can use this to your advantage: get at-home testing strips and check how fast your natural detox process or any supplement is working.
