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Missouri Cannabis Education
What Are Transdermal Cannabis Patches and How Do They Work ?
by Leah Maurer , contributing writer
Leah
Leah Maurer , a native Missourian , is now a canna-journalist and activist living in Portland , OR . She is a co-owner of
www . TheWeedBlog . com , a top national cannabis news and information publication , where she serves as the Editorial Lead . In 2014 , Leah founded Moms for YES on Measure 91 through grassroots efforts alone , it proved pivotal in the passage of the Measure , successfully legalizing recreational / adult-use cannabis in the OR . Leah is a social justice and cannabis activist at the core and hopes to see an end to the prohibition of cannabis globally .
Transdermal patches are for a transdermal delivery system and have been around since 1979 when the FDA approved a scopolamine patch 1 for motion sickness . Other transdermal patches followed shortly thereafter . The most well-known transdermal delivery system is the nicotine patch , with the first one introduced in the early 1990s to help tobacco users quit smoking . Now they are used for multiple medications . With the ever-changing cannabis market and industry , we now have transdermal patches becoming available that function in the same way , except with tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), cannabidiol ( CBD ), and other cannabinoids .
These products are becoming widely available in various cannabis-legal states , and soon Missouri dispensaries will offer them . I happen to know that at least one patch company will launch in Missouri sometime this year — we ’ ll announce that product when it ’ s released for sale .
To explain , a transdermal cannabis patch is a thin piece of plastic coated with adhesive , and for this article , it can be infused with cannabinoids ( typically THC or CBD ). You simply apply the patch to a venous part of your body , and your body heat activates the patch . Your body heat causes the patch to release a small amount of the cannabinoids through your skin and into your bloodstream . Once the cannabinoids are absorbed into your bloodstream , they are transported to your brain and throughout your body . With their ease and slow-dose , ongoing release , these patches can offer all-day or all-night relief to those suffering from chronic physical or mental health issues like pain and anxiety .
There are two main types of transdermal cannabis patches : the Matrix patch and the Reservoir Patch .
● In a Matrix patch , the THC ( or another cannabinoid ) is infused into the matrix of the patch itself , often in the adhesive . When the adhesive contacts your skin , the THC begins to move from the area of higher concentration into the area of lower concentration . The dose of THC you get depends on the amount of the cannabinoid held in the matrix and the size / area of skin the patch covers .
● Conversely , a Reservoir patch refers to a reservoir that holds the THC in solution ( most often with a gel ) and releases it through a membrane between the reservoir , the adhesive , and your skin . Whereas a Matrix patch offers versatility because the patch can be cut and parsed out into precise doses , a Reservoir patch is not cuttable or dose-able . One must wear the entirety of the patch for the entire length of time ; otherwise , the patch will leak or be wasted .
There are many benefits to transdermal delivery . One of the biggest is that it bypasses your lungs , liver , and stomach , the typical
22 May 2022