Can You Donate Blood or Plasma if You Use Cannabis?

Yes, you can donate blood or plasma if you smoke weed or consume other kinds of cannabis products. However, if you are intoxicated when you turn up, most donation centers will turn you away. So, while cannabis users may believe they are unable to donate blood or plasma, smoking weed either occasionally or regularly does not necessarily preclude you from doing so. 

Eligibility criteria can vary by donation center, however, so it's best to check your local donation center’s policies before scheduling an appointment. 

Plasma and Blood Donation Explained

Donating plasma or blood involves giving a portion of your blood for medical use. Blood donation and plasma donation are two distinct processes. Giving a whole blood sample voluntarily is known as blood donation. During this donation, you provide roughly a pint or half of a liter of whole blood. The components of a standard blood donation are platelets, plasma, white blood cells, and red blood cells.

Plasma donation is the process of specifically donating blood plasma. Plasma contains the straw-colored liquid component of blood that carries nutrients, hormones, and proteins. In a plasma-only donation, blood is drawn from the arm through a machine known as a plasmapheresis machine. This high-tech machine is used to separate plasma from the other blood components. The remaining blood components, including red blood cells and platelets, are returned to the donor's body.

How Long Does A Blood or Plasma Donation Take? 

The entire blood donation process takes approximately one hour from arrival to departure. According to the Red Cross, plasma donations take an hour and 15 minutes, only a few minutes longer than donating whole blood. 

The blood and plasma donation process involves a health screening to ensure the donor is eligible and healthy enough to donate. This typically includes documenting the donor's age, weight, and health history. You will also fill out a questionnaire about places you have recently traveled to and any lifestyle factors that could affect your eligibility. After that, your temperature, hemoglobin, blood pressure, and pulse will be checked.

How Long Does THC Stay in Your Body? 

THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the principal psychoactive compound found in cannabis. Whether you smoke, vape, or eat cannabis edibles, THC will make its way to your bloodstream. The duration for which THC stays in the body can vary depending on factors such as dosage and individual metabolism.

Some resources have noted that THC can be detected in hair for up to 90 days, in urine for up to 30 days, and in blood for a few hours to a few days. Also, since THC is fat-soluble, it may stay in your body's fat tissue for weeks at a time. Recent research suggests that a long-term cannabis consumer is unlikely to produce a positive urine drug test result more than 10 days after their last smoking episode. Other studies show that THC can be detected in plasma within seconds of the first inhalation. It may then return to undetectable levels after 2-7 days, although this period can be much longer (as long as 25 days or more) for long-term cannabis consumers.

Who Can Donate Blood and Plasma?

Healthy individuals who meet specific eligibility criteria can donate blood. So, can you donate plasma if you smoke weed? The Red Cross website indicates that this organization does not test blood donations for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Also, you will not be disqualified if you have a medical marijuana card. However, since marijuana use can impair judgment, coordination, and reaction time, donors who appear to be intoxicated will be disqualified from donating blood.

The eligibility requirements to be a blood plasma donor include the following: 

Appropriate Age

Donors must be at least 17 or 16 with parental consent. Check the minimum age requirements in your state before making an appointment.

Good Health

Donors should be in good overall health and should not have any acute or chronic illnesses, infections, or conditions that could affect the blood recipient’s safety. Some health conditions that disqualify individuals from donating blood are HIV, hepatitis B or C, certain cancers, and blood clotting disorders.

Donation Frequency

Donors should not have donated blood within the past eight weeks (or 56 days from the date of donation) for a whole blood donation or plasma in the past 28 days for a plasma donation.

Medications

Donors who take certain medications, such as blood thinners, may be temporarily disqualified from plasma or blood donations.

Travel

Donors who have recently traveled abroad may have to wait before donating blood or plasma. Traveling to some regions of the globe may increase the risk that an individual has acquired a blood-borne disease that could put the recipient of the blood at risk.

Lifestyle Choices

Donors who have participated in activities that put them at risk of HIV infection in the past three months will not be allowed to donate. Please note that these requirements have recently been updated to open up blood donation to a wider range of volunteers.

Donate Plasma or Blood: Things to Keep in Mind If You Consume Cannabis

Cannabis use does not automatically disqualify you from being a blood plasma donor. However, specific policies regarding marijuana use may vary depending on the donation center or organization. Some donation centers exclude donors who consume synthetic cannabis products. As mentioned earlier, you can’t donate if you are high. 

For ethical and legal reasons, make sure you understand the center’s guidelines before you donate blood or plasma and reschedule if you’re not feeling well or are suffering from a weed hangover on the day.

Donate Blood and Save a Life

Donating blood and plasma can help save lives. Regular blood donation by individuals is vital for recipients undergoing surgeries, medical procedures, or facing life-threatening diseases. If you consume cannabis regularly and want to donate blood or plasma, you most likely can. Your ability to donate blood or plasma will depend on the donation center and its eligibility requirements.

If you choose to consume cannabis, allow yourself plenty of time before donating blood. You should be in good health and feeling well before your appointment. If you are in a clear-headed and lucid state of mind, donating blood can be a rewarding experience.