Donating blood can be seen as a good thing. After all, it’s done in order to save the lives of others. So, has it ever crossed your mind to go out and donate some blood? If so, can you do it if you smoke marijuana?
Some college and high school campuses allow students (ages 18 and older) to donate blood. However, studies show that in the United States, most campuses have at least one marijuana user. Especially if you are talking about states that have already legalized marijuana. These states definitely have students who wonder if they can donate blood due to their blood containing THC.
Maybe you aren’t a student on campus. Maybe you are headed down to your local blood bank or Red Cross and are interested in donating blood. But then, you just remembered: last night you were smoking a fat bowl before bed. Now, you are thinking about turning back and not donating at all. Luckily for you, you decided to open up Reefer Post and read this article. Once you finish it, you’ll have all the answers you need about blood and weed.
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The quick answer to whether or not you can donate blood if you smoke weed is yes, you can still donate. However, there is more to this than just that. Let’s get into it:
Can You Donate If You Smoked The Day(s) Before?
If you smoked weed in the days prior to heading to your donation location, you are eligible for donating blood. This is due to the fact that most of the weed (80-90% of it) is discharged from your body within the first 5 days after smoking it. If you are a light smoker, then you can wait a few days and your blood will contain very little to no amount of weed. For heavy weed smokers, do not fear. You can still donate, as well. Weed is mostly absorbed through tissues in your body, and voided through urine. This means that while cannabis can still be detected in blood, it is not likely to be tested there since it is predominantly found in other areas.
Even with this being said, most blood banks do not test for the level of THC (which is present in weed), so there is no need to worry about that. The FDA does not require the testing of THC levels during the donation process. The American Red Cross themselves have even stated that “legal or illegal use of marijuana is not otherwise a cause for blood donation deferral.”
So, if you are going to donate blood, then it is best to wait at least one day after smoking weed before donating. However, there really is no reason to wait unless you show up to the donation stoned. That is a whole other topic on donating.
Can You Donate If You Smoked The Same Day?
If you decided to show up to the donation and you are high, then chances are you will get denied. No blood bank out there will accept a person who is under the influence of any substance if intoxication is detected during the screening process. This can be alcohol, marijuana, or any other type of drug. In order to receive your consent to donate blood, the blood bank first needs you to show up sober.
So, if you decide to show up stoned out of your mind, then do not expect to be accepted to donate. Save that weed for after the donation, when you can kick back, feel like a good person and get high!
To Sum Things Up..
In general, being a cannabis user does not stop you from donating blood. But in order to donate, you must be sober during the process. Really, the only type of drugs that the blood banks are trying to avoid is the hardcore drugs. Either way, all blood that is donated will be tested before actually being given to a patient. So just because you donate your blood, does not mean that it will be used.
Wait to spark up that weed until you finish donating, then have at it. Need some tips and tricks on smoking? Then click here! Thanks for reading.
