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People have many questions about CBD as it rises in popularity, but most of them center around whether the cannabinoid will show up on a drug test. With CBD lotion, in particular, people often wonder whether it’s a drug-test-safe remedy. For those who want the answer, this article will explain how CBD lotion works and whether it will show up on a drug test.
What is CBD, and is CBD legal?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, a compound that originates in the hemp plant. You can typically find it in tinctures, edibles, and skincare products. But unlike delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another popular compound that shows up in products, CBD is not psychoactive.
It’s because of its non-intoxicating properties that CBD is federally legal, although the cannabinoid did live in a legal gray area for a while until the 2018 Farm Bill cleared up any confusion. This legislation now allows the production, possession, and sale of CBD in the United States since the bill distinguishes hemp from cannabis.
This step forward means that CBD products are federally legal unless they contain over 0.3% THC. Any CBD product that has less than this amount of THC is considered legal and won’t cause a psychoactive effect.
What are the different types of CBD?
Because CBD has been the source of much confusion over the years, people are still confused about its different forms. However, there are three main types of CBD extracts, and the one you choose depends a lot on what you’re looking for in a CBD product.
Full-Spectrum CBD
Full-spectrum CBD extracts contain all of the compounds from the hemp plant. By including everything, you get a product that contains CBD, flavonoids, terpenes, and other cannabinoids like trace levels of THC. Full-spectrum CBD products are readily available for you to use, and you can find them as tinctures, edibles, capsules, and creams.
Broad-Spectrum CBD
Broad-spectrum CBD is very similar to full-spectrum CBD. There is just one huge difference: in broad-spectrum CBD products, the THC is not present. They are drug-test-safe remedies and are also available as tinctures, edibles, capsules, and creams.
CBD Isolate
CBD isolate, as the name suggests, is pure CBD. These product types contain no other cannabinoids, terpenes, or flavonoids. They are also drug-test-safe remedies since they don’t include THC.
What is CBD lotion?
While every CBD product has many benefits, a CBD lotion might be the best choice if you are struggling with physical pain or skin conditions. Put simply, CBD lotion is any lotion that contains CBD.
Much more research into the effectiveness of CBD for pain and skin conditions is required, but multiple studies suggest CBD topical products have a promising future. For example, a 2016 animal study indicates that topical CBD application can help manage pain from arthritis and inflammation. Additionally, in 2018, the American Academy of Dermatology suggested using CBD topicals as an adjunct measure for acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
What are the benefits of CBD lotion?
Many additional studies suggest that CBD might be beneficial for both skin health and pain management. For example, here is what current studies indicate.
- Acne: Acne is a common skin condition that can be both frustrating and embarrassing. Thankfully, CBD has compounds that can help control oil, reduce inflammation, and fight bacteria, making it an excellent choice to combat acne. A 2014 study even shows that CBD can prevent the overproduction of sebum in the skin, and a 2016 review notes CBD’s potential antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Infection: Due to its potential as an antibacterial and antifungal agent, CBD may help treat skin infections.
- Dry, itchy skin: A study conducted in 2019 suggests that CBD might help reduce dryness and itchiness associated with eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. This ability to help is because of CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties.
- Aging, wrinkled skin: A 2017 study shows that CBD is a potent antioxidant. Oxidative stress is one of the primary causes of aging skin, so CBD may help decrease the appearance of wrinkles and aging skin.
- Pain management: A lot of research indicates CBD can effectively manage pain, including arthritis and joint pain.
The benefits of CBD lotions are vast. But despite the remedy’s therapeutic effects on your health and wellness, you may still have the same question: does CBD lotion show up on a drug test?
Does CBD lotion get you high?
If a CBD lotion you’re interested in is a full-spectrum product, it will contain THC. For many, this is reason enough to steer clear of CBD lotion. However, your skin acts as a protective barrier, preventing THC from being absorbed into your bloodstream.
In fact, the cannabinoids in CBD lotion will bind to receptors in your skin, muscle tissue, and nerves. Then, they will get absorbed before they make it through your skin and into your bloodstream. Because of this process, CBD lotion—even full-spectrum ones—will not show up on a drug test.
Can other CBD products show up on a drug test?
In theory, if you ingest a CBD product that contains THC, you will fail a drug test even if there are low levels of the cannabinoid. Drug tests typically look for THC, so trace amounts of it will show up.
Additionally, you can also fail a drug test if you use a product with high levels of THC in it. A 2019 analysis of CBD-infused food in Germany found that 25% of the samples contained enough THC to cause intoxicating side effects. If the product you’re ingesting has enough THC to produce a psychoactive effect, then it’s definitely not a drug-test-safe remedy.
What other factors may contribute to CBD use showing up on a drug test?
Even if you do your best to ensure that the CBD products you ingest are drug-test-safe remedies, failing a drug test is still a possibility if you’re around certain people or use the wrong product.
Interestingly, a study found that secondhand cannabis smoke might cause a positive saliva drug test. In the study, volunteers who did not partake in cannabis sat in an unventilated room with people who smoked cannabis. Researchers detected CBD in the participants who didn’t smoke, but the amounts declined as the volunteers spent more time in the room. Thus, the researchers could not confirm or deny whether secondhand cannabis smoke could lead to a positive drug test.
Additionally, a separate study looked at whether exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke would cause a positive urine test. Eighty urine samples from people who did not use cannabis were taken 24 hours after being exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke. Only two tested positive in the drug test, and none hit federal thresholds.
Another potential reason for a positive drug test is cross-contamination. Cross-contamination means that the CBD product could’ve become “contaminated” with THC during the manufacturing process.
Even worse, product mislabeling is another common reason why CBD remedies can cause a positive drug test. Currently, the FDA does not regulate CBD products, so many brands don’t use third-party lab testing, which means you could buy the wrong remedy. A study in 2017 from the Netherlands looked into the label accuracy of 84 CBD-only products, and researchers detected THC in 18 of the samples.
Overall, it’s important to buy CBD products from credible brands like Kat’s Naturals, which uses third-party lab testing, organic ingredients, and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) to produce all of its remedies. If you want to ingest CBD, buying from a reputable company will ensure you get the drug-test-safe remedies that you want and are expecting.
High-Quality CBD Lotion Shouldn’t Cause Concern
When it comes to CBD lotion, you are not going to fail a drug test. Again, these remedies can’t enter the bloodstream through your skin, which means they can’t show up on a drug test.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy CBD lotion from a reputable brand. You still want to find a CBD company that uses quality, organic ingredients and posts a Certificates of Analysis (COA) to prove its CBD lotion is legitimate. There are many brands out to get your money, so choose one with your best interest at heart.
Look for brands like Kat’s Naturals that are transparent, quick to post customer reviews, educational, and committed to using high-quality standards and ingredients to produce CBD lotions and other products.
