Lately we’ve seen both CBD and THC products that are supposedly dissolved in water. The manufactures claim that the “water soluble” CBD or THC have better bioavailability, taste and palatability.
First let’s get one thing straight:
CBD and other cannabinoids are not water soluble (at least in measurable amounts), and they cannot be made soluble under normal conditions unless something else is added.
Pure olive oil and water cannot mix. The same is true of the cannabinoids. The pure compounds in pure water will never mix. You cannot dissolve CBD in neutral water, simple as that.
How Water Soluble CBD Products Are Made
Now, one could put in additives that make the cannabinoids miscible with water. There are a number of surfactants developed for Big Pharma to make their oily drug molecules miscible with water. Many of these are used in early animal studies with investigational compounds of unknown physicochemical properties. The additives are generally non-ionic surfactants, like Tween®, polysorbate 80, or one of the various Kolliphor® esters. Basically, these things are fancy soaps, helping the oil and water to mix.
Generally, a fair amount of surfactant is needed to do the job. Concentrations from 5 to 50% in water are common. Often there is more surfactant than desired compound in the formulation. GW Pharma markets their CBD isolate as a 100 mg/ml solution. While the formula is a closely guarded secret, it appears to be laden with surfactants. The material is very thick, not at all like real water solutions such as sugar and salt water.
So, the “water soluble” CBD or THC you buy probably contains more soap than active ingredient. If that’s what you want, go for it. Enjoy your mystery soap with your cannabinoid.
If you are looking for purity, let alone organic certification, you can forget about these soap formulations. Our products are what you need: USDA Certified Organic CBD. Nothing artificial, everything natural.
Leave the liquid soap for cleaning your dishes.