The Latest in Cannabis: DissolvableCannabinoids
The cannabis industry is continually pushing the barriers of product development to evolve the offerings available, in order to meet the needs of all potential customers. These breakthroughs continue to move the cannabis industry forward and that is the same with the latest development, dissolvable cannabinoids. Not every consumer enjoys the taste or smell of cannabis, so can be put off by flower and joints, or even strong-tasting edibles and tinctures. Dissolvable cannabinoids are here to solve that problem. They are flavorless, odorless and have a quick onset time!
How are Dissolvable Cannabinoids Produced?
Cannabinoids are hydrophobic in nature, meaning that they do not like water (similar to oil, the two do not bond). So you can imagine the struggle to convert a hydrophobic compound into one that loves water. This is one of the reasons which has limited development in this area - until now. By using new technologies and combining extraction processes, such as CO2, companies are now making waves in producing dissolvable cannabis products. The process to develop these cannabinoids is a little tricky and requires a process known as "emulsification". During emulsification, fully decarboxylated distillate is converted into a semiliquid mixture through the use of surfactants (lowers surface tension between two liquids) and emulsifiers (such as lecithin). Through a strenuous mixing process, the cannabinoid particles are coated with these surfactants, allowing them to be water-soluble. Once the product is water soluble, it then needs to be dried to remove excess moisture. In most cases, this is done in a vacuum oven to produce a fine, dry powder.
Benefits of Dissolvable Cannabinoids Besides the obvious reason - the taste - there are other benefits to dissolvable cannabinoids as well. Due to the water soluble nature of these products, they are fully activated and are immediately bio-available when consumed. In short, this means that the effects are more efficient with a faster onset and last for a longer period.
While traditional edibles can take between 60 and 90 minutes for the effects to take place as they need to be processed through the liver. The dissolvable cannabinoids are absorbed the moment they are taken and continue to be processed through the intestines and the liver as they pass through the system. Due to this, these products start working within 20 minutes and the effects can last for up to 4 hours.
Applications for Dissolvable Cannabinoids
There are an endless number of applications for dissolvable cannabinoids given their odorless and tasteless nature. They can be taken simply with water in the morning or evening, or cooked into edibles or cannabutter, blended into smoothies or anything else you can think of! They are not widely available at this time, but you will see them becoming more popular as more companies start to produce them! Sources: https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/dissolvable-cannabinoids-the-future-of-marijuanaedibles http://www.westword.com/marijuana/water-soluble-thc-the-next-move-forward-for-edibles9694207