Yo, what’s good fam? It’s ya boy Dan, here to talk about something that’s been making waves in the CBD game: liposomes. You may have heard the term floating around, but do you actually know what they are and how they work? Let’s dive into these tiny protective bubbles and see how they’re changing the game for CBD.
Alright, so liposomes have been used for a minute now as a legit method for delivering drugs, nutrients, or genetic material into the body. But with the growing popularity of CBD, companies are starting to use more advanced cannabis products to keep up with rising demand and new technological innovations.
So, what are liposomes exactly? They’re basically tiny spheres of liquid made up of one or more phospholipid bilayers. These bad boys are created in a lab by disrupting phospholipids so that they form small protective bubbles. What makes liposomes so unique and effective is that they can safely transport ingredients through the gastrointestinal tract into target areas of the body.
Phospholipids contain a hydrophilic head that attracts water, and a hydrophobic tail that repels it. When they come into contact with water, the tails turn inward and the heads turn outward, which forms a bilayer. The result is a tiny liposome bubble that safely encapsulates ingredients and protects them against degradation.
Now, why are liposomes so clutch for drug delivery? Unlike other methods, liposomes transport ingredients past the intestinal membrane to specific tissues. The ingredients inside these tiny spheres are fully protected as they reach the target areas in the body. Plus, the bioavailability of nutrients delivered via liposomes is particularly high. That’s why they’ve been used successfully by big pharma and are now being championed by the nutraceutical and CBD industries.
And guess what? CBD is particularly well-suited for delivery via liposomes. Since CBD is non-psychoactive, ingesting it in its unadulterated form doesn’t have any adverse effects. Liposomes allow individuals to receive the optimal amount of CBD with each dose. Plus, both oral and topical formulations are possible. When used orally, liposomes allow for more accurate dosing since the CBD is safely encapsulated and doesn’t get compromised on its way to target tissues. And when applied topically, liposomes allow the CBD to penetrate deeper into the skin for a more lit effect.
But let’s get scientific for a sec. Studies have found that delivery via liposomes improves bioavailability by protecting the drug in the gastrointestinal tract and mucous membranes. They also confirm their safety, with one study from 2017 stating that “controllable release…can significantly reduce administration times and avoid toxicity to other organs”. Basically, liposomes adhere to biomembranes and form mixed-micelle structures with bile salts to increase solubility of poorly soluble drugs. So yeah, they’re well-suited for a bunch of different substances that aren’t water-soluble.
And there’s even more evidence out there to support this dope delivery method. An earlier study from 2003 looked at transdermal CBD delivery in particular using ethosomes (delivery carriers similar to liposomes). They administered cannabinoids to mice with rheumatic diseases and noted an accumulation of CBD in the skin and muscle, providing evidence for the effectiveness of transdermal delivery (although more studies are needed to determine anti-inflammatory action through this route).
So, what’s the outlook like for liposomes and CBD? It’s looking damn good fam. Using liposomes for delivery is likely to result in a bunch of benefits for consumers: higher concentrations of CBD overall with less needed per dose compared to other intake methods. Given these physiological and economic benefits, it seems like the future of liposomes and CBD is nothing but bright.
