How Long Do Dabs Stay in Your System?

Whether you enjoy an occasional dab or dabbing is your regular method of consuming THC, you’ve probably wondered at one point or another; how long do dabs stay in your system? How stressed should you be about a potential drug test? Dabs are a little different from other THC forms, but, like all forms of THC, the amount of time it should take to cleanse yourself completely depends on several factors.

THC Dabs Intro

Dabbing has increased in popularity lately, but the practice is around fifteen years old. In the most technical sense, taking a THC dab means smoking extremely concentrated Butane Hash Oil, or BHO. This term covers any THC concentrates, such as wax, budder, shatter, etc., extracted using butane, but some people use the term “dab” more loosely to include all THC concentrates.

To take a dab of those concentrates, you would heat them carefully and intensively (getting the perfect temperature is critical when dabbing), which will turn the concentrates into a smokable vapor. Everyone has their personal temperature preference. Most advanced dabbers take it very seriously; lower temperatures provide more flavor, but lots of waste and higher temperatures give you the most intense high possible.

Most stoners who take dabs own a special dab-rig, also known as an oil rig, which is similar to a bong. Others will take their dabs by putting the oil concentrate in their vape cartridges because those are significantly easier than using a dab-rig and don’t produce a smell. 

The standard percentage of THC in dabs is around 80%, which is super high; no pun intended! Because of that, dabs are known for being intense and might blow away inexperienced smokers.

Cannabis Dab Effects

Since cannabis dabs contain such a high percentage of THC, the psychoactive effects are noticeably stronger and more immediate than flower or even edibles. One of the main appeals of dabbing is that most people only need one hit, and they’re good to go for at least a few hours, or maybe even the entire day. 

Dabs are especially popular with people who have built up such a high tolerance to THC that nothing else can cut it anymore. Sounds great, right? Usually, they are. But one dab that’s just a little too big can knock even the most practiced stoners on their ass.

If you take a small to medium-sized hit, you’ll probably feel the most desired effects of cannabis; relaxation, happiness, and even euphoria. But, if you take too much, you could be in for some severe paranoia, a blackout, an increased heart rate, shaking, and in extreme cases, there’s a possibility of the paranoia going a step further to hallucinations and psychosis. You can expect a weed hangover the next day, too. After all, the most negative effects of cannabis tend to result from concentrates. 

Dabs are not something to mess around with, so be careful whenever you take them.

How Long Do Dabs Stay in Your System?

Dabs will stay in your system for a varying amount of time, depending on the test you’ll be taking.

Urine

Dabs have a concentration of THC much higher than any other type of cannabis, so you can expect to be on the longer end of any timeframe. In the case of a urine test, which is the most popular, dabs will probably show up for about a month or longer.  

Hair Follicle

If you’ve been taking dabs and you have a hair follicle test coming up, you could be failing it for up to ninety days; in fact, that is the case for almost any concentration of THC that you take. You can even fail a hair test for having been around THC smoke.

Saliva

The duration of time THC will show up in your saliva, like your urine, depends partly on THC concentration in whatever products you consumed. Dabs will likely stay in your saliva for about three days, but it could be up to a week if you smoke dabs often. 

Blood

Even dabs should work their way through your bloodstream in a couple of days, but it can take up to a whole month if you’re a very frequent user.

Upcoming Drug Test?

If you’ve taken some dabs recently and you’ve just been notified of an upcoming drug test, you’re probably wondering how to pass. If you’ve already been searching on the internet for solutions, you’ve no doubt come across a lot of crazy detox methods, but be careful because most of those are a sham. 

As mentioned, the duration of time you can expect to fail a test depends on the concentration of THC in the products you’ve been using. Still, it also depends on things like your general health, your metabolism, how frequently you exercise, how much water you drink, and how often you smoke THC (or your toxicity level). Depending on the drug test, though, you could even be in danger of failing if you’ve just been around someone smoking THC. 

The first thing you’ll want to do to prepare for an upcoming drug test is stop taking dabs. From there, the appropriate steps get a little muddled. Will quitting be enough, or is it necessary to take further detox measures? Should you be drinking extra water? Sweating? Taking supplements? 

You have to consider all of the relevant factors when you’re determining what to do about the drug test. We know how nerve-wracking it can be to go pee in that cup, but you’re rarely completely doomed. There are trusted detox programs designed to help you pass your test.

Final Thoughts

The high concentration of THC in dabs makes them a great way to get super high super fast. But, that also means dabs could stay in your system a little bit longer than other types of cannabis. Make sure to consider all relevant aspects, and you should be able to find the best game plan to pass your drug test!