How long does it stay in your system?

[CherryT]

Some of you know me in other parts of the forum and know that I am in a LDR closing the distance with my US partner.

 

We are starting our paperwork and can expect my interview and medical examination date in 5-8 months (as per the website). It never occurred to me that my history with marijuana would affect the test. I live in a Country where medical marijuana dispensary's are common. Not an excuse but it's readily available here.

 

My issue is that I am a user. I don't use heavily like I use to anymore but I do still use it to fall asleep. I actually freakin' love the plant and if I could do it everyday, I probably would. About a handful of years or so ago, I was diagnosed with Arthritis. I was put on pain medication... at times they were prescribed and other times I would just use the OTC pain meds. It was helping but only temporarily. I was taking some sort of pain pill every single and I didn't really like that feeling. It was going OK in the beginning but I had problems with falling asleep. I went to the doctor and mentioned my extreme sleep deprivation and insomnia and it was being caused because pain medication wasn't helping me throughout the night. Sometimes I would fall asleep but I'd never get into a deep sleep and usually resulting in waking up every 2 or so hours. It went on like that for a long time until I just crashed. When I went to the clinic he recommended me to try medical marijuana to help me sleep as a lot of arthritis patients have found that it has helped. I have been using it before bed for several years until recently when I realized that I would have to do a medical exam in order to be granted my immigration papers/visa.

 

I know that the US has zero tolerance for marijuana. I will be required to do a drug test because it is in my medical history file. I am stopping cold turkey and have looked into doing injections for my pain relief for arthritis. The injections are not pleasant but i've been told it'll help my joints from being inflamed etc for a few weeks and (if I'm lucky) a month or so.

 

My question is: how long does it stay in your system for chronic users? Once a day, before bed?

 

TIA!

Edited October 2, 2013 by CherryT

[almond]

This is solely dependent upon what kind of drug test they do. If it's just a urine sample, allowing 30 days should have you in the clear as a chronic user. You're in the clear quicker for a blood test, but for a hair sample test (highly unlikely) you'd need to allow a few months.

[Criticality]

The best thing to do, is to contact an American immigration lawyer, who'd tell you if its a problem.

 

I assume you have a prescription?

 

Heres an example: An employee gets a drug test in the US. It shows positive for opiates. "Ah, that's cause I get prescribed codeine" says the employee, and shows his prescription. At this point the drug test is considered clean, unless its also positive for another drug he doesn't have a prescription for.

 

Another example: When you enter the US, you have to fill out paperwork saying that you're not a drug addict, and you never cooperated with Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 (I kid you not, it's on the form!)

If you take methadone for a previous drug addiction, you would get turned away. If you take methadone because pain however, they wave you through.

 

It's a very complicated issue because of the difference between state law and federal law, and you really should ask a lawyer.

 

BTW The US isn't as tough on marihuana as you might think. In many states there are medical marijuana available these days, and recreational marijuana has also just been legalized in two states...

[Babolat]

Some of you know me in other parts of the forum and know that I am in a LDR closing the distance with my US partner.

 

We are starting our paperwork and can expect my interview and medical examination date in 5-8 months (as per the website). It never occurred to me that my history with marijuana would affect the test. I live in a Country where medical marijuana dispensary's are common. Not an excuse but it's readily available here.

 

My issue is that I am a user. I don't use heavily like I use to anymore but I do still use it to fall asleep. I actually freakin' love the plant and if I could do it everyday, I probably would. About a handful of years or so ago, I was diagnosed with Arthritis. I was put on pain medication... at times they were prescribed and other times I would just use the OTC pain meds. It was helping but only temporarily. I was taking some sort of pain pill every single and I didn't really like that feeling. It was going OK in the beginning but I had problems with falling asleep. I went to the doctor and mentioned my extreme sleep deprivation and insomnia and it was being caused because pain medication wasn't helping me throughout the night. Sometimes I would fall asleep but I'd never get into a deep sleep and usually resulting in waking up every 2 or so hours. It went on like that for a long time until I just crashed. When I went to the clinic he recommended me to try medical marijuana to help me sleep as a lot of arthritis patients have found that it has helped. I have been using it before bed for several years until recently when I realized that I would have to do a medical exam in order to be granted my immigration papers/visa.

 

I know that the US has zero tolerance for marijuana. I will be required to do a drug test because it is in my medical history file. I am stopping cold turkey and have looked into doing injections for my pain relief for arthritis. The injections are not pleasant but i've been told it'll help my joints from being inflamed etc for a few weeks and (if I'm lucky) a month or so.

 

My question is: how long does it stay in your system for chronic users? Once a day, before bed?

 

TIA!

 

I am in the drug testing industry/business. Marijuna takes a good 45 days to get out of your system, thought there are lots of variables and every one is different. To be safe, 45 days.