Longtime Cannabis User Still Tests Positive Weeks After Quitting

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old male who has used cannabis for 51 years. During that time span, I graduated from high school and college with two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees, and I spent 35 years as an accomplished educator, motivational speaker and author. I have been married to the same person for 31 years and have a wide circle of friends.

Twenty-five years ago, I had my thyroid removed due to cancer, and I currently take medication. I also inject testosterone and take medications for blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as Xanax. I retired to a life that involves little travel, choosing instead to spend my time reading, researching, writing and being active in my community. Once I began to notice a loss of motivation and diminished memory, I became proactive and decided to give up cannabis.

I have had no trouble quitting cold turkey and have no desire to return to it. My memory has vastly improved, and I still enjoy all the things that made my retirement enjoyable before I made this decision. After 10 weeks of not using, I still test positive for the metabolites using THC testing strips. I have read that normal detoxing for a heavy user is anywhere from six weeks to two months.

To aid in the process, I drink half a glass of lemon juice in the morning, drink two gallons of water or detox tea a day, cut red meat and dairy from my diet, spend an hour a day on the treadmill, and spend 40 minutes in a steam bath. How long should I expect to continue testing positive? Is there anything else I can do to speed up the passing of the metabolites? -- Anon.

ANSWER: The active form of THC, the primary chemical in cannabis that causes the psychoactive effects (i.e., the effects for people to feel “high”), accumulates in the fat cells, where it can be stored for long periods of time.

Research in laboratory animals confirms that losing weight over the long-term releases the stored THC from the fat, making it more likely that a urine test will be positive in people who are losing weight (which might be the case with you, given your exercise and diet). Heavy users have told me that they feel like they are “coming out of a fog” for up to six months after stopping the use of cannabis. However, I can’t give you any evidence-based answer on how long you will continue to show positive results.

I don’t think drinking water and tea, nor the steam bath, are significantly helping you get rid of the accumulated THC in the body, but the diet and exercise changes probably are, if you are losing fat as I suspect. Even if you aren’t losing weight, you may be getting more muscular due to exercise and losing fat.

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Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

© 2023 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

Spring Cleaning Tips To Detox Your Body

Spring is here,and if your thoughts turn to spring cleaning your house or office,don’t stop there.Take the opportunity to spring clean your body, too. Variations on the process of body detoxification have been elements of many traditional health practices, including ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Consult your health care provider before starting a body detox regimen, but data suggest that most individuals without chronic medical conditions can undergo a simple detox, and the simplest of plans is this: Drink more water. Consistently drinking water each day can help rid your body of toxins even if you do nothing else. Data suggest that many American adults don’t drink enough water, although it is essential for maximumhealth. Water isa keyelement of anybody detox plan. To make the most of your water, opt for purified, enhanced water which promotes the removal of waste and toxins from the body and promotes digestive health through improved absorption of nutrients.

Inflammation

Inflammation can affect anyone, and those who have battled it likely have nothing positive to say. But while few people may associate inflammation with something good, inflammation is actually a process by which the body’s white blood cells and the substances those cells produce protect the body from infection at the hands of bacteria, viruses and other foreign organisms. Whileinflammationisprotectiveby nature,sometimesaninflammatory response is triggered by mistake. When that happens, the body’s immune system, which is designed to protect the body, begins to damage its own tissues. The resulting symptoms of this faulty immune system response may include joint pain, joint stiffness, loss of function in the joints, and swelling of the joints. None of those symptoms are comfortable, and people suffering from them may be on the lookout for ways to alleviatetheirpainandsuffering. While anyone battling persistent inflammation should speak with their physicians to explore their treatment options, a preliminary search of how to best treat inflammation will no doubt turn up information about heat therapy and cold therapy.

By Fifi Rodriguez

1. GEOGRAPHY: Which U.S. states share a border with Mexico?

2. MOVIES: Which movie was the first sports film to win the Best Picture award?

3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: How many former first ladies are still living?

4. TELEVISION: What is the name of Bart’s teacher on “The Simpsons”?

5. LANGUAGE: What does the Japanese phrase “domo arigato” mean in English?

6. CHEMISTRY: What is the lightest element?

7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Who is Marie Laveau of New Orleans?

8. AD SLOGANS: Which product was advertised with the slogan, “Great taste, less filling”?

9. U.S. CITIES: In which city would you find Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello?

10. LITERATURE: Who wrote the autobiography “Dreams From My Father”?

Thank you.

Krabappel.

3. Five: Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.

2. “Rocky” (1976).

1. Four: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Answers

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

The term ‘jazz’ means energy, vitality, and enthusiasm that fits the soul of the music. It is originally derived from the word ‘jasm’ meaning spirit and energy.

Appreciation Month

APRIL 2023

It was first compiled by musicians in African-American communities in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Jazz music is an enchanting blend of more than one ethnicity. It’s got the American and European interpretation of classical music that is spiced up with the influence of West African culture and folk songs. Jazz music has everything going for it — a melody that stays with you, the harmony that makes the notes sound fuller, a rhythm that beats with your heart, and the outstanding improvisations that set the genre apart.

It ‘turns o ’ a part of the brain. According to research, jazz musicians, when improvising, turn o the dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral orbital regions linked to self-censoring and inhibition and switch on the medial prefrontal cortex that lets self-expression flow.

Jazz cats and alligators Jazz musicians like to call themselves ‘jazz cats’ and before that, they addressed each other as ‘alligators’, or ‘gate’ for short.