Hemp seeds, similar to those used in food, do not contain enough of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) to cause a positive result on a drug test. A study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that eating hemp foods can cause a confirmed positive screening and result in urine samples. The specimens were analyzed for cannabinoids by radioimmunoassay (RIA kit from Immunalysis Direct), the presence of THC-COOH was confirmed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and analyzed for creatinine to identify diluted samples. However, consuming non-commercially produced hemp foods, hemp-based oils, or using homemade hemp-based products may have risks of testing positive.
The subjects self-administered THC in 15 ml aliquots (20 ml for the 0.6 mg dose) of four different blends of hemp and canola oils. This means that hemp seeds are safe to eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and are also safe for children. If a laboratory-tested hemp product contained traces of this compound, it would be in such small quantities that it would likely require exorbitant ingestion or use so that, even remotely, it would begin to appear in the smallest quantity on a drug test. This study evaluated the impact of prolonged daily intake of THC through hemp oil on the urine levels of its metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxydelta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) in four different daily doses of THC.
The doses were representative of the THC levels now commonly found in hemp seed products and of a variety of imaginable daily consumption rates. Normally, it would take unusually large amounts of hemp oil or hemp seeds to test positive for a drug. When buying these types of hemp products, be sure to be careful and ask questions about how they were made and if they were tested before packaging. It's possible to fail a drug test for THC-based marijuana in hemp oil, hemp seeds, or hemp seed extract, the ingredient in many CBD oils and supplements. Hemp-based foods and body products produced and sold commercially in the United States are not legally allowed to contain any amount of THC. In addition, there are no known hemp-related allergies, meaning that those who cannot tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose and soy can safely consume hemp.
