The dreaded urine test can take away your freedom or remove you from your job if it detects marijuana in your system.  That is a scary thought especially if you just got the news that your urine test is scheduled to be done in one hour and you know that you have been smoking recently.   

If you like to party, even just once in awhile, your heart may start pounding at the news and you may be asking yourself the question "how long does marijuana stay in my body"?  Bad news first, marijuana can stay in your body longer than other recreational drugs.  Good news is that with some knowledge beforehand, you can pass the urine test for marijuana.   

There are several factors that will influence the length of time that it takes for THC to exit your body.  These factors include your size and weight, general diet, level of exercise, and metabolism.  If you are large, inactive, eat lots of junk food and do not drink many fluids, chances are, your metabolism is slow and the marijuana will stay in your body longer. 

How much marijuana that you ingest, either through smoking or eating, and how often you ingest it will influence how long marijuana stays in your body.  The residual metabolites caused by smoking or ingesting marijuana will lodge in body fat, organs and fluid and a urine test can detect marijuana in your system this way.   

If you smoke it occasionally, it may stay in your body for between 10 - 13 days although this may vary depending on a person's size and the amount of marijuana smoked.  For a regular marijuana smoker, the marijuana metabolites may stay in the body for between 45 - 90 days.  A lifestyle that combines a healthy diet with plenty of fluids and regular exercise will encourage your body to have a faster metabolism so that it can get rid of traces of marijuana faster. 

Of the three main types of drug tests, the urine test is easiest to pass successfully.  Besides the urine test, there is the accurate blood test that is given on special occasions and the accurate hair test, which also keeps a lengthy record on your drug use depending on how long your hair is.   

So now, you know that marijuana will linger in your system for longer than the effects of ingesting it will last.  With enough of the right information, you can make decisions about how to deal with any upcoming urine test, the most common test procedure for marijuana.