What cannabis metabolites are

Metabolites are the molecules your body forms when it breaks down cannabinoids. Liver enzymes from the cytochrome P450 family add oxygen and other groups to the parent compound. The new molecule dissolves in water and leaves the body in urine, bile, or feces. A few metabolites stay active. Most do not.

What THC turns into

THC breaks down in two steps.

  1. CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 convert THC to 11-OH-THC (11-hydroxy-THC). This metabolite is psychoactive. Some studies rank it as potent as THC or stronger.
  2. Enzymes convert 11-OH-THC to THC-COOH (11-nor-9-carboxy-THC). THC-COOH has no psychoactive effect.

THC-COOH binds to glucuronic acid and exits through urine. It is the compound most urine tests target.

What CBD turns into

CBD uses a different enzyme set, mainly CYP2C19 and CYP3A4. The main products are 7-OH-CBD and 7-COOH-CBD. 7-COOH-CBD is the form found in urine. CBD metabolites do not cause a high. Research on how long they stay in the body is thinner than the THC research.

Route of use changes the pattern

How you take cannabis changes which metabolites show up and in what amount.

  • Inhaled: THC reaches the blood and brain before the liver sees much of it. Blood samples show more THC and less 11-OH-THC.
  • Eaten or drunk: THC goes through the liver first. That first pass produces more 11-OH-THC, which is why edible effects arrive later and can feel stronger.

Metabolites and drug tests

Tests measure metabolites, not the plant.

  • Urine: checks for THC-COOH. A federal workplace screen uses an immunoassay cutoff of 50 ng/mL, then confirms with GC-MS or LC-MS/MS.
  • Blood: checks for THC and 11-OH-THC. The window is hours, not weeks.
  • Oral fluid: checks for THC and 11-OH-THC. The window is about 24 to 48 hours in most users.
  • Hair: checks for THC and THC-COOH. The window is months.

Detection time for urine varies. A single use can clear in about 3 days. Daily, long-term use can show positive for up to 30 days. THC is fat-soluble, so it stores in body fat and releases back into the blood over time. Body fat, dose, frequency, and hydration all shift the number.

What store staff can and cannot tell you

Budtenders can explain product labels, dose, and onset time. They cannot tell you how long a metabolite will stay in your system. No label lists metabolites. There is no product that speeds up THC-COOH clearance, and no drink, detox kit, or supplement has been shown to clear it in a fixed time. If you face a test, treat any claim of a fast cleanse as unproven.