Today, the most common methods of Cannabis consumption are:

• Inhalation (pulmonary delivery) by smoking or vaping.
• Oral delivery of Cannabis oil via capsules, tinctures, or edibles
• The use of cannabis oil for the creation of topicals, such as transdermal patches, balms, creams, and serums.

Smoking cannabis is common, especially for recreational users. It is fast acting, entering the bloodstream with the ability to provide effects almost immediately. It is convenient and easy to use for many people.

However, the dosing is not accurate, and it is not a safe delivery system. The dosage is not consistent as the amount of active materials inhaled by smokers can be influenced by the way the user smokes. The amount inhaled and duration of the exhalation will vary, these are factors which determine that amount of CBD and THC that enters and remains in the body. While this is acceptable for recreational users, the lack of consistency is an important consideration for medical patients who require exact and measurable doses.

Other problems with smoking are that it can irritate the lungs, cause allergies, and accelerate the symptoms associated with chronic bronchitis. Additionally, when smoking, consumers are inhaling carbon monoxide, carcinogens, and tar making smoking an especially unsafe option. This makes smoking incompatible with many medical conditions and not well suited for medical use. Research shows that up to 30% of patients with the necessary approval to use medical Cannabis are in fact not using it because they cannot smoke.

Vaping has less impact on the respiratory system. However, common additives to vape oils, such as propylene glycol, used to thin the oil for use in vape pens and cartridges, can result in exposure to harmful carcinogenic compounds when heated and inhaled.

Oral formulations such as edibles, tinctures, and supplements, allow for more accurate dosing, however, cannabinoids are oil based and tend to be poorly absorbed when ingested due to the aqueous environment of gastrointestinal tract, resulting in lower bioavailability. Compared to smoking or vaping, the onset of the cannabis effect takes much longer with effects lasting longer.

Topicals, such as transdermal patches, balms, creams, and serums, are useful in targeting specific areas. However, the skin is not especially permeable, particularly for comparatively large molecules, the size of unprocessed cannabinoids. Therefore, material amounts of cannabinoids are not absorbed by the body when these product formats are used. The result for both recreational and medical cannabis users is that they must consume larger amounts to attain the desired dosage and results. This inefficiency, low bioavailability and wasted active ingredients make these products more expansive then necessary.

Capsoil’s nanometric cannabis powder, CannaPowder, gives medical and recreational cannabis consumers a delivery system that they can safely, easily, and comfortably use. Benefits to manufacturers of cannabis and cannabis-infused products include new and improved products and product formats with better bioavailability, improved efficacy and easier storage and handling.