DEAR DR. GOTT: My question is for my daughter who is pregnant, going on her 9th month. She has stopped smoking pot but recently relapsed and smoked a couple of joints in this past week. She is due in three weeks. I do not want her to have her baby taken away because of her mistake/relapse so she needs to get the pot/THC out of her and her baby’s system. What can she eat, drink, take, or do to remove it quickly.
She is 19 years old, small/skinny sized and very healthy. She has no health problems other than smoking pot. Thank you and have a nice day.
DEAR READER: I wish it were that easy but any damage that has been done cannot be reversed. While the effects of smoking marijuana dissipate rather quickly, the drug can be detected in the body for weeks, maybe longer. The length of time it can be detected is often tied to how much she has smoked recently and how long she has been smoking.
As you are aware, the active ingredient in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is only detectable in the blood for a period of a few hours, because it metabolizes rapidly into molecules known as metabolites (byproducts of metabolism). At least 80 different metabolites are formed from THC. They are stored in body fat, and are ultimately excreted through urine and feces. Some of the THC metabolites have an elimination half-life of about 20 hours; others that are stored in body fat have an elimination half-life of almost two weeks. If your daughter has been using marijuana on a regular basis, she could have positive results up to 45 days after ceasing. Heavy users can have positive results for as long as 90 days following smoking cessation.
Several products, to include bleach, chemicals, salt and others have been tried by users to distort or skew test results. No single one is fool proof. Enough said, now on to the real issue as I see it and pardon me for being abrupt.
Unless your daughter has been in trouble with the law in the past with regard to her pot smoking, I am unsure why any authorities would analyze her and cause her to possibly lose her baby. This is not something they hang around the station house waiting to do. If she has a history with them, both of you may want to take a step back before the birth of the baby. Your daughter is young, healthy (except for her addiction) and apparently has made some less than optimal choices. Is she ready to become a mother on her own, or are you to be a part of the daily picture? If so, are you really ready to step up to the plate because a 19-year-old slips again? Babies cry at all times of the day and night. It takes a person with almost infinite patience to get through diaper changes, crying, fevers, and runny noses. Does she have a partner who can provide for all three of them and help when the load gets too heavy? I am not in any way implying any authorities should become involved. What I am indicating is that a new baby isn’t easy for a 19-year-old or a grandmother to care for. You cannot make decisions for your daughter. She MUST to be responsible and make the best decisions for her and her baby. You can help by helping her mature but don’t enable her to continue making bad choices. Good luck.