Scientists dramatically boost CBD absorption with innovative delivery technology

This study addresses a major challenge in cannabis medicine: making CBD more absorbable when taken by mouth. Researchers used a technique called hot-melt extrusion to create a special formulation that combines CBD with hesperetin (a compound from citrus plants) by mixing them with polymers and phospholipids. The result was remarkable—they achieved a 66,369-fold increase in CBD solubility, raising it from barely dissolving in water to 4.314 mg/mL, while simultaneously improving hesperetin's solubility by 987 times. This breakthrough means the body can actually absorb the CBD that patients take, rather than losing it to poor dissolution.

The researchers used sophisticated design-of-experiments methodology to optimize the formulation, finding that the amount of active compounds and the phospholipid content were the critical factors for success. They confirmed the formulations created truly amorphous (non-crystalline) structures, which is key to keeping the compounds dissolved rather than reverting to their natural crystalline state. Testing showed the optimized formulation (F7) not only dissolved exceptionally well but also demonstrated superior permeability across intestinal barriers in laboratory models, suggesting it would be absorbed more effectively in real-world use.

This work is significant beyond just CBD—it demonstrates a powerful delivery platform for any poorly soluble plant-based medicines. For cannabis patients, this means potential improvements in the bioavailability of oral CBD products, potentially allowing lower doses to be more effective and providing more consistent therapeutic benefits. The technique could also be applied to other cannabinoids and plant compounds with similar solubility challenges.