How is Medicinal Cannabis administered?
Medicinal cannabis can be administered via a variety of pathways, including but not limited to ingestion, inhalation, sublingual and topical absorption.
Oral ingestion
Many individuals choose to orally ingest their medical cannabis as oil, soft gels, or tablets. Psychoactive and physiological effects of orally consuming cannabis appear ~90 min after ingestion, reach max after 2-3 hours and last for 4-12 hours
| Absorption Pathway | Bioavailability | Onset | Peak | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach and Small Intestines | THC: 5-20% CBD: 11-19% |
90 min | 2-3 hours | 6-8 hours |
Oil
Cannabis oil is made by extracting concentrated resin, containing cannabinoids and other bioactive compounds, from cannabis flowers that have undergone thermal decarboxylation. The resin is then diluted with a pharmaceutical-grade oil to make a finished cannabis oil product that has a defined concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes. Most pharmaceutical-grade cannabis oils utilise supercritical fluid CO2 extraction to produce a high-purity, solvent-free cannabis resin.
Cannabis oil is for oral consumption and is neither meant to be vapourized, combusted, nor is it designed for sublingual administration.
Softgels
Softgels usually consist of cannabis resin dissolved in food-grade oil to form a capsule. This may provide enhanced dosage uniformity when compared to other delivery methods (e.g., oil measured with a dropper).
Inhalation
Many individuals choose to inhale their medical cannabis… an intro paragraph in here
| Absorption Pathway | Bioavailability | Onset | Peak | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lungs | 11-45% | 0-1 min | 30 min | 1-4 hours |
Vapourising
Vapourising is a way to inhale the bioactive components of medical cannabis without burning the plant material. Cannabis is heated to a temperature that volatilizes, without combusting, the cannabinoids and other plant constituents, substantially reducing toxic by-products. It reduces the harms associated with smoking, is a more efficient way of extracting chemically active constituents, and reduces the loss of cannabinoids in sidestream smoke, which leads to substantial cost savings over smoking.
Ground cannabis flower is placed into a chamber where it is progressively heated past the boiling points of the bioactive compounds, but not high enough to cause combustion. The vapours are either collected in a secondary chamber or directly inhaled.
Sublingual administration
Sublingual and ingested administrative methods like filmstrips, wafers, and lozenges are preferred by many medicinal cannabis users as sublingual administration has a faster onset of effect than ingested cannabis medicines. These products are absorbed under the tongue, in the oral mucosa, bypassing the liver and reaching the blood stream in as little as 10-30 minutes.
| Absorption Pathway | Bioavailability | Onset | Peak | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Mucosal | 10-35% | 20 min – 1 hour | 30 min | 1-4 hours |
Transdermal application
Transdermal cannabis products are specially formulated to enable absorption of cnanabinoids through the top layers of the skin. In many cases, transdermal medicinal cannabis products contain only CBD and are formulated to be non-psychoactive. These products are applied topically to the epidermis, where they are absorbed and interact directly with endocannabinoid receptors present in the skin.
Further evidence is required to confirm bioavailability, as well as typical onset, peak, and duration time frames for topical medicinal cannabis products.
| Absorption Pathway | Bioavailability | Onset | Peak | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locally at the site of application | Further studies required | Further studies required | Further studies required | Further studies required |