Cannabis oil: THC & CBD oil
Cannabis oils (CBD oil, THC oil) or concentrated extracts are obtained by the extraction of cannabinoids from the dried flowers (cannabis flos) of the cannabis plant. The purpose of producing cannabis oil is to make cannabinoids and other components (i.e. terpenes), available in a highly concentrated form.
CBD and THC oils are typically prepared for oral sublingual administration. They have become increasingly popular in recent years. This is because they are easy to use, compared to inhalation by vaporization. Prescribers and pharmacists are more familiar with oral dosing, which also promotes their use.
Medicinal cannabis oil
Medicinal cannabis oil is made of pharmaceutical quality standardised medicinal cannabis like the cannabis products from Bedrocan.
This oil may contain THC and / or CBD, depending on which materials have been used. These oils are produced in a pharmaceutical setting. The active substances are listed on the packaging.
Bedrocan THC & CBD oils
Medicinal cannabis oil extracted from Bedrocan’s standardised flos is currently available in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and several other countries. It is extracted by pharmacies (as magistral preparations) or pharmaceutical companies using GMP-certified production methods.
Bedrocan does not produce nor sell CBD or THC oil for oral sublingual dosing. Please refer to our contact page for an overview of compounding pharmacists and manufacturers.
Oromucosal administration of cannabis oils
Oils can be administrated via the oral mucosa (sublingual and buccal) and offers a faster onset of action compared to oral doses. A healthy mucosa will absorb these lipophilic medicines more promptly. Some dose formats require a medical device, such as a dropper or syringe.
The dose size impacts the rate of absorption and the risk of swallowing a dose. A swallowed dose will be poorly absorbed and extensively metabolised. For more information about administration and dosing, download the Clinical primer, a clinical manual for health professionals.
The pharmacist prepares medicinal cannabis oil at the Transvaal Pharmacy, the Netherlands
Unregulated production of cannabis oil
Using homemade or unregulated cannabis oil or cannabis concentrates should not be advised. Home or unregulated production can pose risks to patients who consume them.
The exact composition of these oils is frequently unknown. They are not checked for quality by external certified laboratories for the presence of residual solvents, or contaminants such as microbes, pesticides, heavy metals or mycotoxins. The lack of standardisation of both the cannabis starting material and oils makes it impossible to fully evaluate their therapeutic effects over time and, hence, their medicinal value.
What is CBD oil?
CBD oil contains cannabidiol as active ingredient, a component from the cannabis plant. CBD is a non-psychoactive substance, which does not give you a ‘high’ feeling.
In recent years, a large, unregulated market for CBD oils has emerged. These products are typically derived from fibre-type cannabis strains (hemp), which contain large concentrations of CBD, but negligible of THC.
Patients should preferably obtain CBD oil from the pharmacy because it meets the highest pharmaceutical quality requirements. Non-regulated CBD oils that can be bought online or at the drugstore don’t always contain the amount of CBD that is stated on the label. The origin of the raw materials is often unclear. It is also possible that the oil is contaminated with heavy metals or pesticides.
