Do the health advantages of your edible cannabis truly reach you?
Cannabinoids offer a wide range of consumer health advantages, including the ability to reduce pain and inflammation as well as promote relaxation, mood, and sleep. Among the 113 known forms of cannabinoids are the stimulating THCV, the sleep-inducing CBN, the non-psychoactive CBD, and the intoxicating delta 9 THC. In their natural form, all cannabinoids are based on fat and, regrettably, are frequently absorbed poorly. Manufacturers have a dilemma if consumers do not experience the possible health benefits of poorly absorbed supplements.
Modern producers are researching the pharmacokinetics of cannabinoids to find out how quickly and how much of them are absorbed when ingested, as well as when they start to take effect and how long it takes. Clinical studies on a wide range of commercial formulations in humans are providing insight into the rate and efficiency of the body’s absorption of cannabis consumable formulations. The main discovery is that the amount and rate of absorption of cannabinoids are significantly increased when they are converted from a lipid base to a water-based structure. The second result is that the emulsion’s absorption profiles are significantly influenced by the components and methods employed to make it.
In comparison to oil-based formulations, water-soluble CBD formulations improved blood absorption by up to 434 percent in a recent research. The “area under the curve” (AUC), or absorption, usually happens four hours after consumption, which is when most people anticipate any benefit. The water-based formulas absorb within 10 to 45 minutes, which is substantially more effective.
Lipid-based formulations on the market today took over two hours (116 minutes) to reach peak absorption, which is a long time to wait for a benefit. When compared to oil-based formulations, the water-soluble formulation’s CBD levels were 990 times higher in the blood steam 30 minutes after consumption. This indicates that the water-soluble formulations of CBD have a higher probability of having a measurably faster favorable impact on the endocannabinoid system throughout the body and delivering the desired health benefits to users in a more consistent and reliable way.
Recognizing the absorption of CBD
One of the most important qualities that consumers look for in edibles is “fast acting.” In order to do this, Caliper Foods and Colorado State University (CSU) collaborated to carry out a number of clinical research studies on CBD liquids and powders that are soluble in water. Creating water-based formulations that efficiently provide consumers with cannabinoids was the aim. Using blinded samples with repeated assessments and a crossover design with enough time provided for washout between variables, the study was carried out on healthy humans. Over the course of four hours, blood samples were obtained at predetermined intervals for the detection of cannabinoids and their metabolites. THC was the basis for one study, and CBD was the basis for two others. Every product was tested at standard consumer dosages and was available in edible form: 30 milligrams of CBD, or
Dr. Chris Bell, a study co-author and the director of CSU’s Integrative Biology Lab, said, “These findings further the industry’s understanding about how cannabinoids are being absorbed and metabolized by the body, which allows cannabis brands to create products that deliver predictable, efficacious doses to allow consumers to get the intended health benefits of CBD.”
All five water-soluble formulations greatly outperformed lipid-based cannabinoids for both amount and rate of absorption, according to consistent data across all experiments. Each study’s “design anchor points” were the oil-based cannabinoid findings, which allowed for a deeper exploration of the optimum designs for water-soluble formulations for comparative analysis and formulation design. It is hypothesized that lipid-based cannabinoids are more susceptible to first-pass metabolism than water-based cannabinoids, in which the liver is crucial in preventing and limiting the quantity of cannabinoid absorbed into the bloodstream.
Not a place for speculation
Water-soluble formulations have non-predictive pharmacokinetics (PK). To find out how well a recipe will be absorbed by the body, manufacturers must conduct clinical trials on the product. The emulsified cannabinoid is absorbed mostly in the small intestine, where it passes through the lining of the small intestine and into the bloodstream.
It was discovered that emulsifier type was crucial. For each formulation, consumer-friendly emulsifiers were carefully chosen in contrast to pharmaceutical-based ones. Gum arabic outperformed the other products in the evaluation for both the water-soluble CBD liquid concentrates and powders.
When it came to powders, maltodextrin outperformed sorbitol in terms of its ability to affect the AUC, or total quantity of CBD absorbed. The type of emulsifier utilized in the emulsion-making process proved to be a critical factor in the success or failure of water-soluble CBD emulsions.
Despite being substantially larger than the quillaja emulsifier, the gum arabic nanoemulsion had superior absorption. The traditional idea that “smaller is better” for nanoemulsion absorption is refuted by this research. Furthermore, some nanoemulsions have been observed to considerably increase the intrinsic bitterness associated with CBD and other cannabinoids, proving that larger droplets are not necessarily better. The “right size” emulsion considers the sensory profile in addition to PK parameters in order to offer a positive overall consumer experience. It requires balancing.
In brief
Cannabinoids have a lot of potential benefits for wellbeing and health. The goal of the cannabis industry is to produce edibles that are fun and effective for users. When opposed to edibles that use cannabinoids in its natural, lipid-based structure, the pace and amount of cannabinoid absorption are significantly increased by producing water-soluble formulations.
Moreover, clinical testing is the gold standard for determining the rate and volume of absorption into the bloodstream because different water-based formulations absorb differently. Having access to PK data is a useful tool for producers making consumer-facing goods that work well. The PK data is also useful for future marijuana research since it enables academic researchers to employ formulations of the drug with established absorption characteristics. Studies in this field have looked into how CBD affects alcohol cravings, autism, and improved athletic performance.