Full spectrum CBD oil contains the entire range of cannabinoids naturally found in the cannabis hemp plant, including small amounts of THC. Products that contain all hemp compounds together have been shown to have an effect on the human body, called the “entourage effect.” This process encourages the endocannabinoid system to operate to its fullest.

Legal full spectrum products contain less than 0.3% THC. While this small amount of THC will not get you high, it will help the other cannabinoids work better. Scientific research supports the idea that full spectrum CBD oils are the most effective. However, THC-free products are still being sought out by CBD users.

Broad Spectrum CBD oils are made with extracts that have had the THC compound removed. The manufacturing process takes place in a laboratory, and usually involves taking apart the entire chemical structure of the extract and piecing it back together, leaving out the THC. CBD isolates are similar, except all of the cannabinoids are stripped out except for the single CBD compound.

Many online resources claim that there is no need to worry about failing urine drug tests if you’re taking broad spectrum oils or pure CBD isolate. Sorry, but that’s just not true. Even CBD providers themselves, who are aware of the liability they take when making claims, have come out of the woodwork to say that pure CBD isolate and broad spectrum CBD products are without risk of flagging positive during a drug screening test.

 Avoiding THC isn’t as easy as choosing “THC-free” pure CBD isolates or broad spectrum CBD. In a 2017 study, researchers found that many products advertised as “THC-free,” actually tested positive for THC. If THC exposure is something on your checklist for purchasing a CBD product, you might want to avoid CBD use altogether.

Even if a CBD product is advertised as “THC-free,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it is. That’s just one of the many reasons you should always look for a third party lab test. This report will give you the information you need to make an educated decision as to what type of CBD oil you have purchased, and whether it’s worth the risk.

While it is unlikely that you will have a positive test while using CBD oil, there are a couple exceptions to this rule that you should know about. According to a 2012 study, a specific type of drug test used in labs across America can’t tell the difference between CBD and THC.

We don’t know exactly how many labs use this specific method. But if this fluid testing method detects CBD in your system, it can flag you for a false positive for marijuana even if your product is 100% CBD. The New York Times published an article about this in 2019, and it reminded us how little we actually know about CBD and detection thresholds in drug screening tests.

Just last year, a medically reviewed study found that a cannabinoid known as CBN, often called CBD’s “cousin,” can also trigger a false positive in lab tests for marijuana use—even in small doses. This study only looked at three of the most common cannabinoids found in hemp, and one of them failed a test for drugs. This is alarming news, especially since cannabis plants could contain more than a hundred different cannabinoids.

While many who use CBD products pass their drug tests just fine, you should keep these risks in mind when taking CBD. And be especially wary of any CBD brands that claim you can take their product and pass a drug test. Luckily, there’s a new type of drug test that could ease the concerns of many CBD users, which you can find below.

According to the 2018 Farm Bill, THC derived from hemp in no more than 0.3 percent of dry weight is now federally legal. Since drug tests cannot determine the origin of the THC it detects, whether from a legal hemp CBD product or illegal marijuana, businesses should not be allowed to use positive THC test results as grounds for termination. But most employers don’t see it that way—yet.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. If your doctor recommends that you use CBD for certain conditions and then you test positive for marijuana and fail a drug test, then what?

So far, this theory has only been tested against claims related to medical marijuana, not against hemp-derived CBD oil products. But the USDA declared that the legal amount of THC is less than 0.3%. That means this issue has become ripe for a court case, but as of yet, none have occurred.

If you would like CBD protections in your state, contact your state legislators and tell them to pass laws that protect cannabis consumers. You might also bring up the fact that there is zero risk of CBD overdose, yet CBD users still have to worry about getting fired. It doesn’t make much sense to be punished for wanting to feel better by using a federally legal product, and we think employers should see it that way too.

Two women sued a CBD company because they claimed that company’s products caused them to fail drug tests. In another case, a New York man sued another CBD company for failing a test that cost him his job, according to Consumer Reports.

However, CBD manufacturers are not responsible for an individual’s workplace tests, unless they are misleading with their product labeling. If you get fired for a positive drug test result while using Cornbread Hemp, that’s not right, but it’s also not our liability. We fully and openly admit and warn you that our CBD products contain legal amounts of THC. And therefore, our products could cause you to fail a urine drug test.

To calculate your actual chances of failing a drug test from hemp-derived CBD oil, we refer to a 2001 study out of Berkley. During the study, researchers gave participants up to 0.60 mg of THC per day for 40 days, and only 1 out of the 15 participants failed.⁹

Although each dose of our organic CBD oil contains slightly more THC than that, this study indicates that our full-spectrum CBD oil is unlikely to produce a positive result on a drug test. That’s because the detection thresholds for THC metabolites are usually too high to pick up on trace amounts of THC found in a urine sample.