Quick answer
Urine remains the employment default because it balances cost, window-length and legal defensibility. Metabolite CONCENTRATIONS (not presence/absence) decide results against cutoff tables, which is why hydration status m
Detection windows in urine
| Substance | Typical window |
|---|---|
| 2C-B | roughly 6–24 hours (specialised assay) |
| 2C-I | roughly 6–24 hours (specialised assay) |
| 4-AcO-DMT | roughly 6–24 hours (specialised assay) |
| Adderall / amphetamines | 1–3 days |
| Adderall / amphetamines | up to 4–5 days |
| Alcohol | ethanol itself: roughly 6–12 hours |
| Alcohol | EtG (ethyl glucuronide) marker: about 24–48 hours, occasionally up to 70–80 hours after very heavy drinking |
| Ambien (zolpidem) | 1–2 days (half-life ~2.5 h but metabolites linger) |
| Anabolic steroids | injectable/oral esters range ~2 days to 4+ weeks by compound (Dianabol ~3 days; Deca up to 18+ months in extreme cases per WADA literature) |
| Ashwagandha | not tested / no credible interference |
| Baclofen | not tested / no interference |
| Barbiturates | 1–3 days (secobarbital) |
| Barbiturates | phenobarbital: up to 3 weeks |
| Benadryl / NyQuil (diphenhydramine & doxylamine) | interference ~1–2 days post-dose |
| Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan) | Xanax/Ativan: ~2–4 days |
| Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan) | Valium/Klonopin: up to 10 days; weeks in long-term heavy users (nordiazepam accumulates) |
| Buspirone (BusPar) | no credible interference reports |
| CBD (cannabidiol) | CBD itself: not tested; contaminating THC could register 3+ days |
| Clonidine | not tested / no interference |
| Coca (leaf and tea) | 2–3 days |
| Coca (leaf and tea) | up to 4–5 days |
| Cocaine | 2–3 days |
| Cocaine | up to 4–5 days |
| Codeine / promethazine ('lean') | 1–3 days (codeine) |
| Creatine | raises creatinine — LOW creatinine triggers 'dilute' flags, not creatine itself |
| DMT | ~24 hours (research) |
| DXM (dextromethorphan) | 1–3 days at high doses; shorter at normal cough-dose levels |
| Delta-10 THC | roughly 3–15+ days depending on frequency and dose |
| Delta-8 THC | about 3 days |
| Delta-8 THC | 5–7 days |
| Delta-8 THC | 10–15 days |
| Delta-8 THC | 30+ days |
| Dilaudid (hydromorphone) | 2–3 days |
| Escitalopram (Lexapro) | no credible interference reports |
| Etizolam | roughly 1–3 days (dedicated assay) |
| Fentanyl | 1–3 days (up to ~5 in heavy exposure) |
| Fluoxetine (Prozac) | screen-interference reports are rare and dose-dependent |
| GHB | up to about 12 hours (sometimes 24) |
| Gabapentin (Neurontin) | 1–2 days (up to ~3 renal-impaired) |
| Hemp | usually not detectable from isolated hemp seed or fibre; 1–3+ days with THC-containing products |
| Hydrocodone (Norco, Vicodin) | 1–4 days |
| Hydroxyzine (Atarax/Vistaril) | interference ~1–3 days post-dose |
| K2 / Spice (synthetic cannabinoids) | 1–3 days typical; up to ~2 weeks chronic heavy use (lipophilic metabolites) |
| Kava | not tested; no standard interference |
| Ketamine | 1–3 days (norketamine tail) |
| Khat (cathinone) | roughly 1–2 days (specialised assay) |
| Kratom (mitragynine) | ~3 days |
| Kratom (mitragynine) | 5–7 days |
| Kratom (mitragynine) | up to ~9 days documented in chronic users |
| LSD (acid) | ~1 day (8–24 h typical; 2–5 days mega-dose edge cases) |
| Lidocaine | not tested / no credible interference |
| MDMA (ecstasy/molly) | 1–3 days |
| MDPV | roughly 1–3 days (specialised assay) |
| Melatonin | not tested / no interference |
| Mescaline (peyote) | roughly 1–3 days (specialised assay) |
| Methadone | 2–4 days |
| Methadone | up to 2 weeks+ (EDDP persists) |
| Methamphetamine | 3–5 days |
| Methamphetamine | up to ~7 days |
| Methylphenidate | 1–3 days |
| Modafinil | 2–4 days (long half-life ~15 h, modafinil acid tail) |
| Morphine | 1–3 days (chronic up to 4) |
| Muscle relaxers (Flexeril, Soma, tizanidine) | 2–4 days (cyclobenzaprine half-life ~18 h) |
| NBOMe (25I-NBOMe) | roughly 6–24 hours (specialised assay) |
| NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, ketorolac) | no relevant interference on current assays |
| Naltrexone | 1–3 days (oral); injectable releases for weeks |
| Nicotine (smoking/vaping/Zyn) | 3–4 days |
| Nicotine (smoking/vaping/Zyn) | up to ~20 days in heavy long-term users |
| Nitazenes | roughly 1–2 days (specialised assay) |
| Nitrous oxide | not detected by standard testing |
| NyQuil & cold medicines | component interference 1–2 days post-dose |
| Ondansetron | not tested / no interference |
| Opiates / opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine) | ~1–2 days (6-MAM vanishes within ~8–22 hours; total morphine window 1–3 days) |
| Opiates / opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine) | 1–3 days |
| Opiates / opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine) | up to 4 days chronic |
| Opium | 2–4 days |
| Opium | up to about 7 days |
| Oxycodone (Percocet, OxyContin) | 1–3 days |
| Oxycodone (Percocet, OxyContin) | 3–4 days |
| Ozempic / GLP-1 (semaglutide) | not tested / no interference |
| PCP (angel dust) | 3–7 days |
| PCP (angel dust) | up to 14–30 days in chronic users (lipid storage) |
| Peptides (BPC-157, ipamorelin) | sports-panel detectable ~days by compound |
| Phenibut | roughly 1–2 days (specialised assay) |
| Phentermine (Adipex-P) | 2–4 days (half-life ~20 h) |
| Poppers (alkyl nitrites) | nitrite ADULTERANT flags (validity check) possible if ingested/poured — not a drug hit |
| Pregabalin (Lyrica) | 1–3 days |
| Psilocybin mushrooms ('shrooms') | roughly 24 hours; up to 3 days in heavier-use cases on specialized assays |
| Quetiapine (Seroquel) | interference ~2–4 days post-dose |
| Salvia divinorum | ~half day theoretical (research assays) |
| Sertraline (Zoloft) | interference window ~2–5 days (reports rare) |
| Sildenafil | not tested / no interference |
| Suboxone (buprenorphine) | 3–6 days |
| Suboxone (buprenorphine) | up to 14 days at higher chronic doses |
| Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) | interference window ~1–2 days post-dose |
| Synthetic cathinones (bath salts) | about 1–3 days (specialised assay) |
| Tianeptine | roughly 1–2 days (specialised assay) |
| Tramadol (Ultram) | 1–3 days (up to ~4 chronic) |
| Trazodone | screen interference window ~2–4 days post-dose |
| Weed / THC (cannabis) | about 3 days |
| Weed / THC (cannabis) | 5–7 days |
| Weed / THC (cannabis) | 10–15 days |
| Weed / THC (cannabis) | 30+ days in well-documented chronic heavy-use cases |
| Wellbutrin (bupropion) | interference possible ~2–5 days post-dose |
| Wild lettuce (lactucarium) | not tested / no interference |
| Xylazine | about 1–2 days (specialised assay only) |
| alpha-PVP (flakka) | roughly 1–3 days (specialised assay) |
Typical published ranges; individual results vary with dose, frequency, metabolism and the assay.
Frequently asked questions
How does a urine drug test work?
Urine remains the employment default because it balances cost, window-length and legal defensibility. Metabolite CONCENTRATIONS (not presence/absence) decide results against cutoff tables, which is why hydration status moves numbers and why validity checks (creatinine, specific gravity) police dilution attempts.
How long do drugs stay detectable in urine?
It varies by substance — see the table above. Longest windows: 2C-B, 2C-I, 4-AcO-DMT.
Is a urine test accurate?
Screening results are presumptive; a non-negative urine screen is confirmed by GC-MS or LC-MS/MS before being reported as positive.