This is how cannabis enters the body – Bioavailability

Whether you use cannabis and/or hemp products for medical or recreational purposes, you need to be aware of the bioavailability. The amount of THC that you can obtain and CBD amount is beneficial all depend on bioavailability.

WHAT DOES BIOAVAILABILITY MEAN?

Bioavailability is defined as follows: “The degree of availability of a drug or other substance to the target tissue after administration”. An intravenous dose is considered 100% bioavailable. This is due to the fact that it is administered directly into the bloodstream. In hemp parlance, this means that bioavailability is related to the proportion of a dose absorbed by the body compared to the dose injected.

WHY BIOAVAILABILITY IS IMPORTANT

All cannabis contains cannabinoids. From industrial hemp with 0.2% THC to lust Green Gelato’s mother with almost 30% THC, really all cannabis contains cannabinoids. Similarly, CBD oil can be supplied in various concentrations, ranging from a moderate 2.5% to a high 20%.

But the amount of cannabinoids and terpenes in your product is not enough. The endocannabinoid system, is designed to interact with these compounds. In addition, the entourage effect is an essential synergistic factor. And that’s not all. Perhaps the most critical factor in cannabis use is bioavailability. In general, the more bioavailable a dose is, the lower the amount needed to feel the effects. High bioavailability is what distinguishes high-quality cannabis and hemp products from ineffective remedies. Bioavailability is the true measure of the potency of a cannabis product.

• THE BIOAVAILABILITY OF JOINTS

  There are many variables to consider when it comes to the bioavailability of cannabis for smoking in a joint. The most subtle details – from the amount of herb you put in a joint to the leaves’ quality – affect bioavailability. That being said, a 2005 study entitled “Pharmacokinetics of Cannabinoids” [1] showed that smoked THC has an average bioavailability of around 30%. The following conclusion is even more interesting: “With a 3.55% THC cigarette, a maximum plasma value of 152 ± 86.3ng/ml occurred about 10 minutes after inhalation”. Despite the relatively low potency of the joints used in this study for daily joint smokers, it took 10 minutes to reach a high level.

• BIOAVAILABILITY OF EVAPORATION

  Vaporization, like smoking, uses the lungs to absorb cannabinoids. This is true – with much less harmful side effects, mainly because it is vapour inhalation rather than smoking. A vaporizer performs the decarboxylation necessary to activate the cannabinoids by heating them just enough for them to be inhaled. On the other hand, it is the burn that ignites a joint so that you can inhale the smoke.

  A 2016 study entitled “Cannabis Medicinal: In Vitro Validation of Vaporizers for Smokeless Inhalation of Cannabis” essentially gave the vaporizers an unqualified green light. The possibility of considerably increasing the bioavailability of cannabis with a vaporizer is a fact. This research focused on both THC and CBD and showed that using a vaporizer is the best way to get high on THC and dose CBD-rich cannabis.