Dose Forms
There are three major subcategories of dose forms for Medicinal cannabinoids.
Oral
Oral administration is an obvious and convenient method and something patients are familiar with from other medicines. Bioavailability differs considerably depending on whether the administration is sub-lingual (oil drops or sprays) or swallowed (capsules, teas or edibles).
Inhalation
Inhalation can be achieved by smoking, vaping or the use of an inhalation medical device. Smoking is harmful to patients’ health and thus cannot be recommended. Medical vaporisers do offer potential for higher bioavailability but are often not practical and require patients to purchase and use a device.
Transdermal
There is interest in the use of medical cannabis for some skin conditions and local joint or muscle pain.
Oil
One of the most popular forms of Medicinal cannabinoid (MC) delivery is sublingual oil administration, due to the high bioavailability of the mucous membranes found in the mouth and under the tongue.
This method of delivery is helpful for patients with difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules.
Sub-lingual oil administration allows for relatively easy dose titration by changing the number of drops administered but can become cumbersome for higher doses or for patients who would have difficulty in remembering what dose regime to follow.
Some patients who try oil using sublingual administration don’t find the taste particularly pleasing. The effectiveness of administration also varies if the patient swallows prior to full absorption of the product.
Capsules
Capsules are becoming increasingly popular as it is a familiar route of administration for patients that allows for Medicinal cannabinoids to be taken like most other medicines.
Oral ingestion is associated with a lower bioavailability and slower onset of action but this is less of a consideration when taken taken regularly.
Capsules allow for accurate, easy and reliable dosing especially once dose titration is complete.
Capsules are a great solution for patients who dislike the taste of oil.
