CBD may cause false-positive drug tests, Arizona's largest health system warns

CBD shouldn't contain marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, but ingesting it may still result in a failed drug test, officials with Arizona's largest health system are warning.

People in Arizona and across the country have claimed they failed a drug test when they've only used CBD, Banner Health cautioned Tuesday in a written statement.

CBD is a derivative of cannabis that isn't supposed to contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that produces a high. However, Banner said some CBD products may contain small amounts of THC, leading to positive drug tests. Banner did not specify how many failed tests have been reported.

People use CBD to treat a variety of issues, including chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation and insomnia, although the only CBD product the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved is a prescription drug used to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.

Maureen Roland, director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, told The Arizona Republic that people using CBD products should make sure they get them from a "reputable distributor" who can show through laboratory analytics that their CBD does not contain THC.

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Roland said the poison center has also received reports of young children getting into CBD products and ending up in emergency rooms with symptoms of THC toxicity. She said people should use caution if they have young children in the home.

“This is a new and emerging problem as we see more of these products that are being sold and purchased,” Roland said. “And it's just going to require the FDA getting more involved, states getting more involved, as far as monitoring what's being sold to consumers.”

The FDA has issued a warning about products containing delta-8 THC

Last week, the FDA sent warning letters to companies selling unapproved CBD products.

The FDA also warned about products containing delta-8 THC, a form of THC that can be manufactured from hemp-derived CBD in concentrated amounts. Delta-8 THC can cause psychoactive effects, though it is less potent than the traditional delta-9 THC. The FDA said it has received reports of adverse events experienced by people who have consumed products containing delta-8 THC.

Some delta-8 THC products also contain delta-9 THC. A 5.7-gram delta-8 honey stick sold over the counter at an herbal supplement shop in Tempe contained 3 mg of delta-9 THC, according to an online lab report available through a QR code on the product. This is equivalent to a small edible sold at a licensed cannabis dispensary.

Urine drug tests screen for marijuana by looking for a metabolite of THC that is different from CBD, according to Banner Health.

“CBD itself will not cause a false positive drug test but people can still test positive for marijuana because there could actually be small amounts of THC in these products, especially if they’re made from hemp,” Dr. Steve Dudley, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, said in a written statement contained in the Banner Health news release.

Hemp refers to any part of a cannabis plant containing no more than 0.3% THC. The news release says CBD derived from hemp can contain small amounts of THC even if the label doesn’t say so, meaning people who use CBD regularly can build up high enough THC levels in their body to cause a positive drug test.

While there are drug tests that measure the CBD to THC ratio in a person that could help prove they are telling the truth about only having used CBD, employers may still choose to stick to their decision regarding discipline, Dudley said in the statement.

“The consequences of a failed drug test can be severe, including losing a job which could have far reaching financial implications,” the news release says. “Patients and providers should be aware of these risks before starting these therapies.”

Multiple reports from the FDA and independent labs have shown CBD products containing much more THC than would be explained by legal hemp sources, Dudley's statement says.

Christina van Waasbergen is a journalism student at Northwestern University and an intern covering health care at The Arizona Republic. Reach her at cvanwaasbergen@arizonarepublic.com