CBD/THC Bioavailability

The dose you intake is not the dose you get. Learn more about cannabinoid bioavailability.

Bioavailability: the rate at which a drug or other substance is absorbed or becomes available at the site of physiological activity after administration.

In other words: the bioavailability of CBD/THC is the amount of cannabinoids that actually make it into the bloodstream and up to the brain.

The bioavailability of any substance will vary depending on the route of administration and the size, shape, and chemical properties of that substance.

For example, the bioavailability of a substance administered orally is often much less, because it's broken down by digestive enzymes and must endure acidic pH balances and high temperatures in the digestive system. Furthermore, since every person’s biochemistry is slightly different, the bioavailability of a substance when administered orally is also affected by each individual's unique metabolism.

Inhaling cannabinoids has proven to be the most efficient method of consumption and causes immediate effects. However, smoking is associated with the uptake of chemicals produced by combustion. For this reason, vaporization, which heats cannabinoids below combustion temperature and converts cannabinoids into a vapor that can be inhaled, has become a popular method of consumption. While efficient, this method is the least accurate way of dosing.

Sublingual administration is another common method to consume cannabinoids. It's not as effective in delivering cannabinoids to the brain's receptors as inhalation but it does work faster and more efficiently than ingesting edibles. This is a fairly accurate way of dosing.

One innovative way to improve the bioavailability of oral administration is to reduce the particle size of CBD/THC molecules dispersed in water so they can be better absorbed through membranes in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach before reaching the small intestine. Normally, CBD/THC molecules in oil or edibles are too large to pass through these membranes, hence the lower bioavailability, but by reducing the particle size and increasing their surface area we can provide greater absorption.