Wellness in a Capsule
A growing number of cannabis users are finding better, more effective ways to titrate their medical treatments.
Among the ways to medicate today, capsules aren’t the flashiest method but they’re one of the most important. Capsules are a convenient way to take cannabis – a mid-sized pill containing oil (like coconut or olive) infused with marijuana, usually hash. They appeal to patients that might not consider it otherwise, people who think all medicine comes in a pill form or those who can fit cannabis into routines more easily if it’s swallowed all at once.
Megan Phillips, a homecare worker in Oregon, now suggests the use of cannabis capsules for patients after working with a patient who refused to try medical marijuana in any other form. Phillips lists numerous reasons one might need capsules to medicate: disease that effects the lungs, throat or the ability to inhale; dietary restrictions on sugar or fat that prevent most edibles from being an option; lack of teeth; smoking and vaping restrictions in nursing homes and subsidized housing and the need to consume large quantities when the dose is a gram or more per day.
Capsules are stocked in dispensaries from the east to the west. These are a few selections:
Doctor Phill’s Pharma, Oregon
Creating the highest quality, locally grown CBD medicine is Dr. Phill’s passion, and he makes CBD-dominant cannabis capsules. There’s a synergy between CBD and THC called the entourage effect and the ratio of these two cannabinoids is important when medicating for different illnesses. According to Dr. Phill, the CBD-dominant capsules are in serious demand. CBD is an anti-inflammatory that eases joint pain and cramps, acts as an anti-anxiety remedy, can aid in lessening the effects of PTSD and helps reduce seizures of epileptic children. Dr. Phill’s line features strains like Harlequin, Swiss Tsunami and ACDC, and can be found in dispensaries around Portland, Oregon.
Thomas C. Slater Center, Rhode Island
The Thomas C. Slater Center in Providence, Rhode Island makes a variety of cannabis capsules. Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) or CO2 extracted hash is combined with another oil such as coconut for capsules that range from 5 to 60 milligrams of THC, CBD or a combination of both. Slater’s Director of Outreach and Educational Services Melissa Bouchard explains that capsules are popular with patients new to cannabis. They can take a low-dose capsule in a controlled fashion and titrate accordingly. It’s also ideal for patients in assisted living, who microdose throughout the day, and who have such pain and digestion issues that they cannot tolerate tinctures or who cannot risk the stigma that may come along with the odor of cannabis. The Slater Center continues to experiment with different techniques, like the type of oil being infused, to develop the best medicine possible.
MedibisRx, California
MedibisRx is focused on helping patients medicate with ease, making capsules and other products designed for discretion and efficiency, including oral mist, inhalers, oral film strips and sublingual drops. The capsules come in sativa (uplifting, cerebrally-focused effects), indica (relaxing, sleepy), CBD (for pain, anxiety, nausea, arthritis, PTSD, seizure disorders, cancer and more), and CBD/THC blends (calming). Onset takes 30 minutes to 2 hours and average effects last 6 to 12 hours. They’re available at California dispensaries, including Oakland’s Magnolia Wellness. Amber Senter, chief operations officer of Magnolia Wellness, sees demand for capsules from patients who are terminally ill and/or suffering from chronic pain. When a patient is too nauseous to smoke, let alone eat, capsules are the best choice to get their medicine down. For some patients, consistency of dosage is vital and capsules provide that with multiple dosage options and a standardized product.
Wana CapsXR, Colorado
Veteran Colorado edibles company Wana Brands teamed with Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc., a medical cannabis company with research and development facilities in Israel, and created the world’s first extended release cannabis capsule in 2015. It works by using two types of oil-based compounds that the body will process at different speeds together in one capsule. The first oil is very bio-available so the patient feels it quickly – effects will begin within the first hour. The second is much more gradual and lasts much longer. Wana CapsXR come in high THC, high CBD and a 1:1 ratio blend.
Originally published in Issue 21 of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE
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