CBD Does Not Cause False-Positive THC Results on Roadside Drug Tests
Oral CBD at doses up to 1,500 mg produced zero false-positive results for THC on two standard roadside drug testing devices across 515 tests.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 259 DrugWipe 5S and 256 DrugTest 5000 tests following oral CBD administration (placebo, 15, 300, or 1,500 mg), no THC-positive results were observed. THC, cannabinol, and cannabigerol were not detected in any oral fluid samples, confirming that pure oral CBD does not cross-react with THC assays.
Key Numbers
17 participants; 515 total tests (259 DW-5S, 256 DT5000); 0 false positives; CBD doses: placebo, 15, 300, 1500 mg; peak oral fluid CBD at 1500mg: 167 ng/mL
How They Did This
Double-blind, crossover design with 17 healthy participants completing 4 sessions. Two standard point-of-collection oral fluid testing devices (DrugWipe 5S and DrugTest 5000, both with 10 ng/mL THC cutoffs) were administered at baseline and 3 post-treatment timepoints.
Why This Research Matters
CBD users, particularly those driving while using prescribed or over-the-counter CBD products, face uncertainty about whether roadside drug tests could falsely flag them for THC. This study provides clear reassurance.
The Bigger Picture
As CBD products become mainstream, users need to know whether they risk false-positive drug tests. This study demonstrates that pure oral CBD formulations do not trigger THC-positive results on standard roadside devices.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only tested pure CBD without THC. Many commercial CBD products contain trace THC that could produce different results. Only tested two specific devices.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would full-spectrum CBD products containing trace THC produce false positives?
- ?Do vaporized or sublingual CBD formulations behave differently on oral fluid tests?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 0 false positives across 515 tests
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-designed double-blind crossover RCT with objective testing on validated devices, though small sample size.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022
- Original Title:
- Orally administered cannabidiol does not produce false-positive tests for Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol on the Securetec DrugWipe® 5S or Dräger DrugTest® 5000.
- Published In:
- Drug testing and analysis, 14(1), 137-143 (2022)
- Authors:
- McCartney, Danielle(22), Kevin, Richard C(16), Suraev, Anastasia S(4), Irwin, Christopher, Grunstein, Ronald R, Hoyos, Camilla M, McGregor, Iain S
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04054
Evidence Hierarchy
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or placebo groups to test cause and effect.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Will CBD make me fail a roadside drug test?
This study found that pure oral CBD at doses up to 1,500 mg produced zero false-positive THC results on two standard roadside devices across 515 tests.
Could full-spectrum CBD products cause a positive test?
This study only tested pure CBD without THC. Full-spectrum products containing trace THC could potentially produce different results and were not evaluated.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04054APA
McCartney, Danielle; Kevin, Richard C; Suraev, Anastasia S; Irwin, Christopher; Grunstein, Ronald R; Hoyos, Camilla M; McGregor, Iain S. (2022). Orally administered cannabidiol does not produce false-positive tests for Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol on the Securetec DrugWipe® 5S or Dräger DrugTest® 5000.. Drug testing and analysis, 14(1), 137-143. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3153
MLA
McCartney, Danielle, et al. "Orally administered cannabidiol does not produce false-positive tests for Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol on the Securetec DrugWipe® 5S or Dräger DrugTest® 5000.." Drug testing and analysis, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3153
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Orally administered cannabidiol does not produce false-posit..." RTHC-04054. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mccartney-2022-orally-administered-cannabidiol-does
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.