K2 or “spice” is a synthetic cannabinoid that people abuse to experience a wide range of mind-altering effects. This substance is often sold in gas stations and headshops under the guise of incense or potpourri and marked as “not for human consumption.” While spice is meant to mimic the effects of marijuana, it can cause dangerous side effects like rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, seizures, and hallucinations.[1]
K2 is synthetic marijuana, so some people believe it is safe to use. Unfortunately, abusing spice can lead to dangerous health effects, addiction, and even overdose. If you or a loved one smokes K2, you should seek help from a drug rehab center.
K2 drug has an incredibly long half-life of up to 41 days.[2] That said, drug tests might detect it in your system for a longer period. For example, urine tests can find K2 in your system for 15 to 505 days.[3]
In this article, you will learn:
- What the half-life of spice is
- What factors affect how long K2 stays in your body
- How long drug tests can find spice in your system
What is the Half-Life of K2?
To understand how long K2 stays in your system, you need to know what a drug’s half-life is. A half-life explains how long it takes your body to eliminate half of the dose of a substance. It can take up to 4 to 5 half-lives for a drug to be removed from your system.
Spice has one of the longest half-lives of any drug, at up to 41 days.[2] This means it can take up to 205 days for all traces of K2 to be eliminated from your body. With that being said, the effects of K2 tend to last between 4 to 6 hours. However, just because the substance is still in your body does not mean it will continue to cause mind-altering effects. It does mean that certain drug tests will be able to tell that you have abused spice for a long time after your last dose.
What Factors Affect How Long K2 Stays in Your System?
Spice is a synthetic drug that can lead to long-term addiction, overdoses, and dangerous side effects. If you abuse this substance, you should seek help from an addiction treatment center.
If you or a loved one is wondering how long K2 stays in your system, you need to consider all of the factors that play a role in drug elimination. Certain things like the speed of your metabolism, what dose of a drug you take, and your body fat percentage can affect how long a drug stays in your body.
The factors that play a role in how long synthetic marijuana stays in your system include:
- Your age
- The speed of your metabolism
- How often you consume K2
- What dose of spice you use
- Your body fat percentage
- Hydration and nutrition levels
- Whether you have other substances in your system
- The health of your kidneys and liver
It is important to note that while these factors can influence how long spice stays in your system, there is no way to flush the drug out of your body faster. Drinking excess water or consuming “detox drinks” will not help you pass a drug test. The only way to receive a negative result is to refrain from K2 misuse.
How Long Can Drug Tests Detect Spice in Your System?
Standard drug tests do not look for K2 in your system. However, there are specialized drug tests that can find synthetic cannabinoids like spice. If you are given one of these tests, you will test positive after using K2.
The amount of time that spice is detectable by a drug test depends on the type of test being used. Usually, urine tests are preferred as they offer the longest window of detection and are the most reliable.
Urine
Urine tests are used in a wide variety of settings. If you are taking a specialized urine test that detects spice, you could test positive for 152 to 505 days after your last dose. The more frequently you abuse spice, the longer you will test positive.
Blood
Blood tests are not the most accurate when it comes to detecting K2 because there are so many different chemicals that could be inside of the substance. That said, synthetic cannabinoids can usually be detected by blood tests for 3 to 7 days after your last dose.
Saliva
Saliva tests are not preferred by medical professionals because they offer a short window of detection. However, law enforcement officers might use them to determine if you are driving under the influence. With that being said, saliva tests can find spice in your system for 24-48 hours after your last dose.
Hair
Hair tests are not reliable because they can discriminate based on factors like hair color. Despite this, some high security clearance jobs use them because they can detect a wide variety of substances for a long period. Hair tests can find K2 in your system for 90 days after you last used it.
Find Help for K2 Abuse and Addiction
If you or a loved one suffers from K2 addiction, it’s time to seek help. At the Mandala Healing Center, we offer evidence-based treatments to help you overcome substance use disorders.
Contact us today for more information on our K2/spice addiction treatment center.
References:
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Spice/ K2, Synthetic Marijuana
- Lavoisier: Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
- Wiley: Quantitative urine confirmatory testing for synthetic cannabinoids in randomly collected urine specimens