Does Marijuana Have Psychoactive Effects for Weeks on the Brain?

Marijuana’s active ingredient is THC, which is Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol. THC hits the bloodstream via the lungs (if smoked) with a small proportion (about 1%) then making it to the brain. The brain has specific THC receptors, and within 10 to 30 minutes after smoking psychoactive effects are produced.

Not only does THC go to the brain, it also goes to the rest of the body. Within 2 to 4 hours, the brain’s THC levels fall below that necessary for psychoactivity. THC, like many drugs, is lipid soluble. That means THC is taken up by fat cells and is then released from these cells slowly. The majority of THC and its metabolites are excreted from the body in sweat, feces, and urine.

As the deposited THC gets slowly released from the fat cells, some active THC re-enters the bloodstream. It is not enough, however, to produce psychoactive effects. That myth is therefore debunked.

Even in people who smoke marijuana frequently, the bloodstream levels fall below the psychoactive levels within a few hours each time. Interestingly, THC from the current use does mix with THC from previous uses being released from fat cells each time. However, the amount being released from previous use is not enough to make a significant contribution.

There are no THC receptors in fat cells, so it has no effects there. It just is stored and slowly released. Eventually, THC is transformed into inactive metabolites. This may take days to weeks before excretion is completed. As a consequence, when people take a urine drug test it may show these inactive metabolites indicating usage at some point in the past, maybe weeks, but not current psychoactive intoxication. What’s being tested with a urine test is one of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid metabolites called THC-COOH. This metabolite is produced by the liver, and is indicative of substantial metabolic degradation having already taken place. There is no correlation between a positive test and a current state of marijuana intoxication.

A blood test is the best way to test for active marijuana usage, which looks at active metabolites and may give a better indication of current psychoactivity.

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