Do hemp THC drinks show up on a drug test?

Quick answer

Yes. Hemp-derived THC drinks, Little Rick included, can make you fail a drug test. Hemp delta-9 THC is the same molecule as marijuana THC, and standard tests can't tell where it came from. In a Johns Hopkins study, urine tested positive under federal workplace rules in 97.6% of sessions after a single 10mg or 25mg oral dose. After one use, urine usually stays positive for about 3 days; with regular use it can be a week or several weeks.

  • Urine tests look for THC-COOH, a breakdown product of THC.
  • "It was hemp" is not a defense for federally regulated jobs: the Department of Transportation says CBD or hemp use doesn't explain a confirmed positive.
  • If you're tested for work, sport or a court program, don't drink THC.

Last reviewed: November 7, 2026. For adults 21 and over. This page explains how testing works. It is not legal or medical advice.

Why hemp THC shows up on a drug test

A drug test doesn't check whether THC came from hemp or marijuana. Your body breaks down delta-9 THC the same way whatever its source, and urine tests look for the main breakdown product, THC-COOH (also written Δ9-THC-COOH). If you drink a can with 5mg, 10mg or 25mg of delta-9 THC, that breakdown product will be in your urine.

Federal workplace testing uses a two-step process: a screening test with a cutoff of 50 ng/mL, then a lab confirmation at 15 ng/mL. A Johns Hopkins team gave adults who rarely used cannabis brownies with 10mg or 25mg of THC. Using those federal cutoffs, urine tested positive in 97.6% of the oral sessions within the 8-hour test window.

How long THC from a drink stays detectable

How often you use THC Typical urine detection window
Once About 3 days
Moderate use (about 4 times a week) About 5 to 7 days
Daily or heavy use Often 1 to 2 weeks, sometimes longer

The single and moderate use windows come from a 2017 Mayo Clinic Proceedings guide for clinicians. For regular users, a study that watched heavy cannabis users during supervised abstinence found that those with the highest starting levels kept producing positive urine samples for an average of about 15 days, and some for longer. These are averages. Your own window depends on your dose, how often you use THC, your body fat and the test's cutoff.

Other kinds of tests

  • Saliva (oral fluid) tests pick up recent use. In the Johns Hopkins oral cannabis study, THC was detectable in oral fluid for up to 22 hours. In a 2026 study, 8 of 10 people tested positive in oral fluid after a single dose of a CBD oil containing 2.8mg or 3.7mg of THC. Even small amounts of THC can show.
  • Blood tests: in the same Johns Hopkins study, THC was detectable in whole blood for up to 22 hours after a single oral dose.

Does CBD cause a positive drug test?

Pure CBD doesn't appear to. In a Johns Hopkins study, CBD alone didn't turn into THC in the body or trigger a positive. But hemp products that contain even a little THC can: in the same research, vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis with 3.7mg THC produced positive urine samples in 3 of 18 people. Every Little Rick drink contains THC, so it can trigger a positive test.

Workplace and federal rules

Since February 18, 2020, the US Department of Transportation has said that CBD use is not a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory-confirmed marijuana positive. Its Medical Review Officers verify those results as positive even if the employee says they only used CBD or hemp. Federal rules for DOT testing also bar accepting hemp product use as a reason to report a negative (49 CFR 40.151(f)).

Private employers set their own policies, and state laws differ on off-duty cannabis use. If your job involves testing, check your employer's policy before you drink THC. Our guide to THC drinks and work covers the workplace side.

Practical advice

  1. If you are subject to drug testing, assume any THC drink will show and skip it.
  2. If a test is coming up, stop well ahead. A few days may not be enough if you've been drinking THC regularly.
  3. If you take prescription medication, ask your doctor before using THC.

Want to see exactly what's in a can before you decide? Every batch's lab report is on our lab results page, and our guide to reading a THC lab report explains each line. For timing of the effects themselves, see how long THC drinks take to kick in.

FAQ

Will a 5mg THC drink make me fail a drug test?

It can. A 5mg drink contains delta-9 THC, and studies show positive urine tests after single oral doses of 10mg and even after hemp products with under 4mg of THC. Assume any THC drink can cause a positive.

How long does a THC drink stay in your urine?

About 3 days after a single use, about 5 to 7 days with moderate use and often 1 to 2 weeks or longer with daily use.

Can a drug test tell hemp THC from marijuana?

No. Standard tests detect THC and its breakdown products, which are the same whatever the source.

Will CBD alone show up on a drug test?

Pure CBD isn't what tests look for, but many CBD products contain some THC, and that can cause a positive.

Do Little Rick drinks contain THC?

Yes. Every Little Rick drink contains hemp-derived delta-9 THC, from 5mg to 60mg per can, plus CBD.

Sources

  1. Sholler D.J. et al., "Urinary Excretion Profile of Cannabinoid Analytes Following Acute Administration of Oral and Vaporized Cannabis in Infrequent Cannabis Users," Journal of Analytical Toxicology 46(8):882–890, October 2022: PubMed 35770374.
  2. Moeller K.E. et al., "Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests: What Clinicians Need to Know About Urine Drug Screens," Mayo Clinic Proceedings 92(5):774–796, May 2017: PubMed 28325505.
  3. Goodwin R.S. et al., "Urinary Elimination of 11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Cannabis Users During Continuously Monitored Abstinence," Journal of Analytical Toxicology 32(8):562–569, 2008: PMC2587336.
  4. Vikingsson S. et al., "The acute and chronic pharmacokinetic oral fluid profile of oral cannabidiol in healthy human volunteers," Journal of Analytical Toxicology 50(3), April 2026: PubMed 41252452.
  5. Vandrey R. et al., "Pharmacokinetic Profile of Oral Cannabis in Humans," Journal of Analytical Toxicology 41(2):83–99, March 2017: PubMed 28158482.
  6. Sholler D.J. et al., "Urinary Pharmacokinetic Profile of CBD, Δ9-THC and Their Metabolites following Oral and Vaporized CBD and Vaporized CBD-Dominant Cannabis Administration," Journal of Analytical Toxicology 46(5):494–503, May 2022: PubMed 34089060.
  7. US Department of Transportation, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance, "DOT 'CBD' Notice," February 18, 2020: transportation.gov.
  8. 49 CFR 40.151(f), Medical Review Officers and the Verification Process: transportation.gov. Accessed November 7, 2026.