Topical CBD products are a popular way for adults to enjoy soothing relief for minor aches and pains.** But will these products show up on a drug test? The short answer is, probably not. While CBD gummies and other edible products, as well as CBD vapes and sublingual CBD oil, can potentially cause a positive test result, if there’s enough THC build-up in your bloodstream, CBD topical products don’t enter the bloodstream at all.
We’ll get into how drug tests work in a minute, as well as take a look at our best-selling selection of topical CBD products. But first, let’s have a little refresher course on cannabis, CBD, and a common target of drug testing: THC.
Cannabis & CBD
We’ll begin our discussion on CBD with its parent plant, cannabis. In the eyes of the law, cannabis comes in two forms: high-THC marijuana and low-THC hemp. The CBD products we sell are not made from marijuana, but rather cannabis hemp. The 2018 US Farm Bill legalized the growth, manufacture, and sale of hemp products. All Farm Bill-compliant hemp products contain less than 0.3% THC.
CBD vs THC
Cannabis contains a group of over a hundred compounds, called cannabinoids. CBD and THC are the two most prevalent cannabinoids. As we alluded to in the section above, marijuana is more THC heavy, and hemp has a higher concentration of CBD.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a psychotropic compound. That is, THC is the compound in marijuana that gets you high. It’s also what you’re being tested for in a drug test (along with, potentially, alcohol and other drugs). CBD (cannabidiol) is not psychotropic. Instead, it delivers a wealth of health and wellness benefits through its interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system.**
The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, helps the body to maintain homeostasis, or balance. CBD interacts with receptors in the ECS, helping to boost the performance of this system.** This interaction produces a number of wellness benefits, and is the primary reason that many adults turn to CBD as a health supplement.**
Full-Spectrum CBD vs Broad-Spectrum CBD vs CBD Isolate
Full-spectrum CBD is CBD oil just as it’s derived from the hemp plant. Full spectrum oil contains all of the cannabinoids (including CBD and trace amounts of THC), terpenes, flavonoids, and healthy fatty acids of cannabis hemp. Broad-spectrum CBD is the same hemp oil as full spectrum, only the detectable levels of THC have been filtered out. CBD isolate is CBD only, with all other cannabis content removed.
What Is CBD Cream?
CBD creams are topical products, meaning that when you use these products, the CBD is absorbed through the skin. CBD creams and balms are generally designed to penetrate the skin and deliver soothing benefits to the muscles and joints beneath. CBD topicals do not cause CBD (or THC, for that matter) to be absorbed into the bloodstream, as do CBD gummies, CBD oils, or other ingestible CBD products.
How Does a Drug Test Work?
There are different ways to test for marijuana and, specifically, THC. These are the types of drug tests generally used to detect THC and marijuana. Remember, a drug test generally doesn’t search for legal, non-intoxicating CBD.
Urine
Urine tests are generally used by employers and are the most common type of drug tests. CBD, THC, and other cannabis compounds remain at detectable levels in the urine for roughly three days. This can vary, depending on your body’s unique physiology and how much CBD or THC you consume––and how often. For heavy CBD or THC users, cannabinoids can last in the urine for up to six weeks.
Hair
Hair follicle drug testing is a little less common than other types of tests. THC can remain in a single hair follicle at a detectable level for roughly 90 days.
Blood
THC can remain at detectable levels in the blood for around seven days.
Saliva
Saliva testing can detect THC around 72 hours after consumption. As with the other drug tests, this can be affected by how often you use products containing THC.
Can CBD Topicals Cause a Positive Test Result?
Because CBD topical products are absorbed directly through the skin and don’t enter the bloodstream, you have a very slim chance of testing positive for marijuana or THC from using CBD creams, lotions, or balms. There’s even less of a chance you’ll test positive with CBDfx CBD topical products, because they either contain broad spectrum CBD, which has detectable levels of THC filtered out, or CBD isolate, which is CBD with all other cannabis content removed, including all THC.
Here’s a handy chart of our CBD hemp topicals, noting the type of CBD used for each.
| CBD Product | Type of CBD Used |
| CBD Muscle & Joint Cream: Cooling Formula | Broad spectrum CBD |
| CBG Muscle & Joint Cream: Heating Formula | Broad spectrum CBD |
| Calming & Moisturizing CBD Balm Stick | Broad spectrum CBD |
| Muscle & Joint CBD Balm Stick | Broad spectrum CBD |
| CBD Face Masks | Broad spectrum CBD |
| CBD Foot Masks | Broad spectrum CBD |
| CBD Bath Bombs | CBD isolate |
| CBD Bath Salts | CBD isolate |
Final Thoughts on CBD & Your Drug Test
Hopefully, this article has put your mind at ease, if you’re using topical CBD products and have an upcoming drug test. Remember, it is possible to test positive for THC or cannabis with some CBD products, if you consume enough of them over a period of time. But because topical products bypass the bloodstream, you’re likely to test negative for THC if that’s all the cannabis that you’ve used.
If you have other questions about CBD drug testing, cannabis, and related topics, you can find other informative articles on our CBDfx blog and in the “What Is CBD” section of our website. We wish you the best on your CBD journey!
If you are, however, looking to explore legal THC products, check out our Delta-9 THC gummies!
