Table 1 Cannabis formulations and routes of administration
From: Priming primary care providers to engage in evidence-based discussions about cannabis with patients
| Form | Other terms | Development | Route of administration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Flower, bud | The highest concentration of cannabinoids are found in the flower, not the leaf, of the female plant | Smoking Vaporization Topical Rectal |
| Edibles | Brownies, cookies, candy | Typically butter or oil used to extract cannabinoids and put into a variety of edible products | Oral |
| Tincture | Golden dragon, green dragon | Alcohol or glycerin used to extract active ingredients | Oral Sublingual Oromucosal |
| Oil | Alcohol used to make highly viscous concentrated extract | Oral Topical | |
| Resin | Hash, dry sift, kief | Concentrate made by mechanically separating trichomes (hair-like protrusions on flower with high concentration of cannabinoids) from the plant | Smoking Vaporization |
| Dab | Wax, shatter | Ultraconcentrated extract made with solvents such as butane; very high levels of THC, potentially dangerous | Dabbing (concentrate placed on a very metal rod and inhaled) |
| Nabiximols | Sativex | Pharmaceutically prepared whole plant extract in spray form; 1:1 THC:CBD concentration; approved for use in the EU | Oromucosal |
| Pharmaceutical cannabinoids | Dronabinol, Nabilone, Epidiolex® | Dronabinol and nabilone are FDA-approved synthetic THC (chemotherapy induced nausea/ vomiting; AIDS related cachexia); Epidiolex® is a highly purified CBD plant extract and is FDA-approved for the treatment of two rare epilepsy syndromes | Oral |