THC IN THE BODY

When marijuana smoke is inhaled, the cannabinoids (THC) and the other 2,000 chemicals present in dried marijuana enter the blood stream.  The psychoactive chemicals in marijuana are fat-soluble, not water-soluble.  Once in the blood stream, these chemicals are taken up and stored in body organs rich in fat, such as the brain and reproductive system.

The human body uses a water-based system to eliminate waste products in the form of sweat, urine, and feces.  Fat-soluble substances like THC are eliminated more slowly and exert their toxic effects throughout the time they remain trapped in body tissues.

The THC absorbed from one marijuana cigarette can be detected in the urine for about a week.  In a marijuana smoker who has been accumulating THC in his body by smoking more than once a week, THC can be detected in the urine for as long as a month or more beyond the time he stops smoking marijuana.

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