A two part answer.
Not a week goes by that I don't get asked this question, "Holly, will I test positive for marijuana if I use a CBD product for my ...insert medical condition here...?"
Well, here is part 1 of my 2 part answer...Maybe, but maybe not.
Marijuana is produced by the Cannabis sativa plant and has hundreds of chemical components. One of those components is THC (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol) another is CBD (Cannabidiol).
THC is the main ingredient that produces the "psychoactive effect of marijuana. Proponents of CBD oil and other CBD products claim that CBD can be used to treat conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, migraines, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, depression, and anxiety and it is not intoxicating or psychoactive.
Now, here is part 2 of 2 of my answer...Buyer beware. It's not regulated by the FDA - who knows what is in it.
CBD is an emerging, ever-growing popular supplement that purports to have multiple medical uses; however, CBD products (aside from Epidoloex) have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be marketed or sold for therapeutic or medical use.
All CBD products may contain some level of THC.
Some CBD products are being marketed with unproven medical claims and are of unknown quality.
Oversight and quality control of standards in regards to the manufacturing of prescription medication is highly regulated; however, the manufacturing of products such as CBD is NOT regulated.
Without stringent oversight, claims of “zero THC” are likely not to be accurate; therefore, even CBD products that claim to be derived from hemp may contain elevated levels of THC which could cause an employee to test positive for THC.
The strength of the CBD, as well as the amount of THC in these products, can vary considerably from product to product and from producer to producer.
Studies looking at some of these products have shown that all CBD products tend to contain THC levels of 0.3% or above.
Over the past several years, many questions have come up regarding the use of cannabidiol (CBD). Many states have regulations that differ from the Department of Transportation's (DOT) drug and alcohol testing requirements. Remember, regardless of any state law, all DOT Agencies prohibit the use or possession of marijuana.
If an employee tests positive for marijuana on a DOT urine drug test, the fact that the employee was using a CBD product, even if the product claimed to be derived from hemp, will not excuse the employee’s positive test result.
DOT On February 18, 2020, the DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) issued a DOT "CBD" Notice stating:
It remains unacceptable for any safety-sensitive employee subject to the Department of Transportation’s drug testing regulations to use marijuana. Since the use of CBD products could lead to a positive drug test result, Department of Transportation-regulated safety-sensitive employees should exercise caution when considering whether to use CBD products.
Will I pass a urine drug test if I use products containing CBD? Now you know, right?
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