Understanding Bioavailability: 
Why 50mg Isn't Always 50mg

  • By Jeremy Amos

Published: Monday, Nov 2, 2025

Your product label says 50mg of CBD per dose.

 

But here's a fascinating question: how much of that 50mg actually makes it into your customer's bloodstream where it can work?

 

The answer depends entirely on how you deliver it. And understanding this opens up a whole new world of product innovation.

 

This is bioavailability. And it's one of the most exciting frontiers in cannabinoid science.

 

Let's talk about why.

Title

What Bioavailability Actually Means

Bioavailability is the percentage of an active ingredient that reaches systemic circulation—meaning it actually makes it into the bloodstream where it can have an effect.

 

If someone takes 100mg of a cannabinoid and 20mg reaches their bloodstream, the bioavailability is 20%.

 

Sounds simple, right?

 

Here's where it gets interesting: bioavailability varies dramatically based on how you deliver the cannabinoid. And when you understand these differences, you can design products that work better with less active ingredient.

 

That's the magic of smart formulation.

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The Bioavailability Spectrum: From 6% to 90%

Different delivery methods have wildly different absorption rates. Let's explore what happens with each:

 

Oral (Edibles, Capsules, Swallowed Tinctures)

Bioavailability: 6-20%

 

What happens: When you swallow a cannabinoid, it travels through your digestive system. Stomach acid and digestive enzymes start breaking it down. Then it passes through the liver—this is called first-pass metabolism—where liver enzymes process it further.

By the time it reaches systemic circulation, about 80-94% has been metabolized or eliminated.

 

The advantage: Effects last longer (4-6 hours) because the cannabinoid is slowly released through digestion. Great for extended relief or maintenance dosing.

 

What this means: That 50mg gummy? Your customer is experiencing somewhere between 3-10mg of bioavailable CBD. To achieve consistent therapeutic effects, you need to account for this in formulation.

 

The opportunity: Understanding this helps you set realistic expectations and dose accordingly. It's not a limitation—it's a design consideration.

 

 

Sublingual (Under the Tongue)

 

Bioavailability: 12-35%

 

What happens: When cannabinoids are held under the tongue, they absorb through the mucous membranes directly into the bloodstream. This bypasses the digestive system and first-pass liver metabolism. Though realistically, not all of it absorbs sublingually—some gets swallowed anyway.

 

The advantage: Faster onset (15-30 minutes vs 1-2 hours for oral). Better bioavailability than swallowing. Good middle ground between convenience and efficiency.

 

What this means: Proper use makes a huge difference. Products work best when customers are educated about holding under tongue for 60-90 seconds.

 

The opportunity: Customer education becomes part of your product experience. When you teach people how to use tinctures properly, they get better results.

 

 

Inhalation (Vaping)

 

Bioavailability: 34-56%

 

What happens: Cannabinoids enter the lungs and absorb directly into the bloodstream through lung tissue. No digestive breakdown. No first-pass metabolism. Almost immediate access to circulation.

 

The advantage: Fast onset (2-15 minutes). High bioavailability. Precise dosing. This is why inhalation has been the preferred method for immediate effects.

 

What this means: A 50mg dose via inhalation delivers 17-28mg to the bloodstream—2-3x more than oral delivery at the same labeled dose.

 

The opportunity: For customers who want rapid onset and are comfortable with inhalation, this is highly efficient delivery.

 

 

Topical (Creams, Balms, Patches)

 

Bioavailability: Minimal to systemic circulation

 

What happens: Topical cannabinoids interact with local cannabinoid receptors in the skin, muscles, and joints. Very little reaches systemic circulation—and that's by design.

 

The advantage: Localized application with no systemic effects. Perfect for targeted needs without whole-body impact.

 

What this means: Topicals work differently than other delivery methods. They're not about systemic bioavailability—they're about local receptor activation.

 

The opportunity: Explaining this difference helps customers choose the right product for their needs. Topical for local relief, oral/sublingual for systemic effects.

 

 

Water-Soluble/Nano-Emulsified (The Innovation)

 

Bioavailability: 50-90%

 

What happens: This is where the science gets really exciting. Cannabinoids are naturally fat-soluble, which makes them poorly absorbed in the water-based environment of our digestive system.

 

Nano-emulsification breaks CBD into tiny particles (nanometers in size) and encapsulates them in a water-compatible coating. This dramatically increases absorption in the digestive system and reduces first-pass metabolism.

 

The advantage: Fast onset (15-30 minutes). Exceptional bioavailability. Works beautifully in beverages and Easysnaps. Consistent absorption between users.

 

What this means: A water-soluble 25mg dose can deliver 12-22mg to the bloodstream—more than a 50mg traditional oral dose. You can lower the dose while improving the experience.

 

The opportunity: This is the future of cannabinoid formulation. Better absorption means lower doses, faster effects, and more consistent experiences. It's innovation that directly benefits the end user.

Title

The First-Pass Effect: Why Oral Absorption Is So Challenging

Let's understand why swallowing cannabinoids is so inefficient—not because it's a problem, but because understanding it helps us innovate better solutions.

 

When you swallow anything, it travels to your liver before entering systemic circulation. The liver has enzymes (CYP450 family) that metabolize foreign substances. This is actually a good thing—it's how your body processes and eliminates things.

 

But for cannabinoids, these enzymes break down most of the compound before it can reach circulation. Some metabolites are active and useful, but much of the original cannabinoid is simply eliminated.

 

This is first-pass metabolism. It's not a flaw—it's biology.

 

The innovation opportunity: Understanding this led to delivery methods that work with biology instead of fighting it:

  • Sublingual absorption bypasses the liver
  • Water-soluble formulations improve digestive absorption
  • Liposomal encapsulation protects cannabinoids through digestion
  • Nano-particles increase surface area for absorption

Each of these innovations is built on understanding the challenge and designing around it. That's exciting.

Title

The Math That Opens Possibilities

Let's look at what this means practically:

 

Traditional Oral Capsule:

  • Labeled dose: 50mg CBD
  • Bioavailability: 10%
  • Actual absorbed: 5mg

Water-Soluble Beverage:

  • Labeled dose: 25mg CBD
  • Bioavailability: 70%
  • Actual absorbed: 17.5mg

Same customer experience. Same effective dose. But one approach uses half the cannabinoid and delivers 3x more bioavailable compound.

This isn't about one being "wrong"—it's about understanding that delivery method is as important as dose. When you grasp this, you can design products intentionally rather than by guessing.

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What Affects Bioavailability (The Variables)

Even within the same delivery method, bioavailability varies. Understanding these variables helps you design more consistent products:

 

Individual Factors:

  • Metabolism speed (varies person to person)
  • Body weight and composition
  • Whether stomach is empty or full
  • Gut health and digestive function

Formulation Factors:

  • Carrier oil type (MCT vs olive oil vs hemp seed oil)
  • Particle size (nano vs standard)
  • Presence of absorption enhancers
  • Formulation stability

Usage Factors:

  • How long sublingual products are held under tongue
  • Whether edibles are taken with fatty foods (which can increase absorption)
  • Consistency of use

You can't control individual factors, but you can optimize formulation factors. That's where the opportunity lies.

Title

Why This Matters for Product Innovation

Understanding bioavailability changes how you think about product development:

 

Instead of: "We need 100mg per dose to be competitive" Think: "What bioavailability are we achieving, and what dose delivers the experience we want?"

 

Instead of: "Why do some customers say our product doesn't work?" Think: "Are we accounting for bioavailability variation in our formulation?"

 

Instead of: "Water-soluble costs more per milligram" Think: "Water-soluble delivers more bioavailable compound per dollar spent"

 

This shift—from focusing on labeled milligrams to bioavailable effectiveness—is what separates innovative brands from those just following category norms.

Title

The Future Is About Smart Delivery

The cannabinoid industry is evolving rapidly. The next wave of innovation isn't just about new cannabinoids—it's about smarter delivery.

We're seeing:

  • Nano-emulsified beverages that work in 15 minutes
  • Sublingual strips with enhanced absorption
  • Time-release formulations for extended effects
  • Liposomal encapsulation for improved bioavailability

Each of these technologies is built on the same foundation: understanding how the body absorbs cannabinoids and designing delivery systems that work with biology, not against it.

 

That's exciting. Because it means we're just scratching the surface of what's possible.

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What to Discuss With Your Ingredient Supplier

When you're formulating products, here are the conversations worth having about bioavailability:

  1. "What delivery technologies do you offer, and what bioavailability do they achieve?" This opens up a discussion about innovation, not just commodity ingredients.
  2. "Do you have bioavailability studies for your formulations?" Good suppliers invest in research to understand and document their innovations.
  3. "How does your water-soluble technology work?" Understanding the mechanism helps you explain the benefits to your customers.
  4. "What formulation approaches work best for my product category?" Beverages need different solutions than capsules. Good suppliers help you think this through.

These aren't interrogations—they're collaborative conversations about building better products together.

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What We're Excited About at OBX

We're investing heavily in water-soluble and nano-emulsified cannabinoid technologies.

 

Not because it's trendy. But because the science is clear: better bioavailability creates better customer experiences with lower doses.

 

That's good for everyone. Brands can formulate more efficiently. Customers get faster, more consistent effects. The industry moves toward products that actually deliver on their promises.

 

We're also working on helping brands understand these concepts so they can educate their customers. Because when people understand why a 25mg water-soluble product works better than a 50mg traditional product, they make better choices.

 

Education and innovation working together—that's how we build trust.

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The Bottom Line

That 50mg on your label isn't the whole story.

 

The real story is: how much of that 50mg actually gets where it needs to go? How quickly? How consistently?

 

These questions open up a world of innovation. Better delivery systems. Smarter formulations. Products that work more reliably with less active ingredient.

 

Understanding bioavailability doesn't just make you a better formulator. It makes you a better educator. Because when you can explain to your customers why delivery method matters, you're not just selling products—you're building understanding.

 

And understanding builds trust.