There has been a lot of chatter out there about using natural remedies such as cranberry juice to help pass a drug test.
I’m not going to lie. This is a pretty appealing idea. And the rumor has gained a lot of traction in recent years as drug use (especially marijuana) has been on the rise.
Does the theory that cranberry juice can help you pass a drug test have any substance or proof behind it? Or is it just wishful thinking?
Drinking Cranberry juice will not help you to pass a drug test. This is nothing more than an old wives tale. Cranberry juice may make you urinate more, but this won’t necessarily flush drugs from your system any faster. Your best bet is to stop using drugs at least 30 days before your upcoming drug test.
Read on to learn more about this myth. Plus learn some useful techniques that will help you pass your upcoming drug test.
The Cranberry Juice THC Detox Myth
This myth has some underlying logic that has made it so widespread and prevalent.
Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic, meaning it will make you urinate more frequently than you normally would.
It makes sense that more frequent urination could expel toxins from the body more quickly. Right?
Well, that’s not necessarily true, especially when it comes to expelling THC.
Marijuana is stored in fatty cells in the body, so how much you pee won’t impact how quickly you can detox it from your system.
THC is detectable up to 30 days after consumption. Honestly, you are better off to just stop using at least 30 days before your drug test (if you have that much warning).
Can Cranberry Juice at Least Dilute Urine?
Consuming a lot of liquids (even just water) can actually dilute your urine somewhat. However, most drug test providers will re-test if the urine is too diluted.
To determine whether the sample is too diluted, the drug tester will measure the level of creatine present. If the sample has a creatine concentration of less than 20 mg/dL, it is considered too diluted to give an accurate result, and the test will be re-taken.
Trying to dilute your urine sample with lots of liquids is not a very sound strategy at all. In fact, it may just raise suspicion. This strategy is the reasoning behind a lot of other home remedies such as using pickle juice to pass a drug test.
What About Using Cranberry Juice for Other Drugs (Not THC)?
Unfortunately, nothing in cranberries can help flush any kind of drug from your system. None of the vitamins or minerals will help one bit.
Again, please do not rely on this method to pass an upcoming drug test. It will not work.
Your best bet is to detox from drugs in advance of your drug test entirely. Eventually, the drugs will leave your system naturally.
How Long Drugs Stay in Your System
The chart below illustrates how long you will need to detox for different types of drugs. This is how long it takes for the drug to be completely expelled from your system, meaning that no traces will show up on a panel drug test.
Please note that many factors can influence this, including:
- Age
- Ethnicity
- Weight
- Gender
- Existing medical conditions
- Frequency of use
- Length of use
- The overall amount of the drug ingested
To be safe, I recommend erring on the side of caution when planning out your detox time period. Always go for the upper range – and maybe even add on a few extra days. The periods below are by no means guaranteed and depend on the factors mentioned above.
| Drug | Detox Period |
|---|---|
| Marijuana | 30 Days |
| Cocaine | 2 – 3 Days |
| Heroin/Opiates | 1 – 3 Days |
| Amphetamine/Methamphetamine | 2 – 6 Days |
| PCP | 7 – 14 Days |
| Ecstasy | 2 – 4 Days |
| Benzodiazepine | 5 – 30 Days |
| Barbiturates | 4 – 14 Days |
| Methadone | 1 – 3 Days |
| Oxycodone | 1- 2 Days |
How to Pass Your Drug Test (With Certainty)
As I’ve mentioned above, your best bet for passing a drug test would be to detox for at least one month beforehand. However, if your drug test is coming up sooner, there are a few things you can do to detox quickly.
Speed up your detox with a specially formulated detox product
These pills will flush the THC right out of your system a lot quicker than it would typically take.
You want a product that has been specifically formulated with natural ingredients. This means they won’t cause side effects, nor do they contain chemicals that might cast suspicion on a drug test panel.
Be warned, though. There’s a lot of snake oil out there, so you need to choose the right one.
Don’t forget to test yourself.
Once you have detoxed, don’t forget to make sure to test yourself to make sure you are ready to pass your drug test with flying colors. I would recommend doing this at least a couple of days before your test to give yourself a little extra time in case the test is still picking up trace amounts of THC.
Final Thoughts
Somehow the rumor that cranberry juice will help you pass a drug test has spiraled out of control. However, as we have shown in this article, there is absolutely no truth to it. If you want to pass a drug test, your best bet is to fully detox from any drugs at least 30 days before the drug test date.
If you need help dealing with addiction, check out the SAMHSA website for plenty of free resources and to begin your recovery journey.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/cranberry
http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/teens/resources/substances/marijuana/chemistry.cfm
https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/40/8/659/2445890
https://www.addictioncenter.com/rehab-questions/how-long-does-detox/