Bonner Natural Health

Clinician Guidance

Phytocannabinoid suppository support. The formulation rationale, the evidence base, the delivered doses and the indications for each of the two formulations, in one reference.

Brand
Bonner Natural Health
Range
2 formulations
Version
5.0, September 2026
Classification
Practitioner confidential
Two Formulations.
One Blend, Two Strengths.

This is a two formulation phytocannabinoid suppository line built on a single design principle: a broad spectrum cannabinoid base, boosted with targeted single cannabinoid isolates to raise the clinically relevant minors to doses where their documented target engagement becomes meaningful.

That combination is uncommon. The greater part of the hemp market sells single molecule products, almost always CBD, which discard the rest of the plant and are limited by a narrow effective window. The remainder sell whole plant preparations at whatever ratios the plant happened to provide, where the therapeutically interesting minors sit too low to do useful work. This line takes the evidence-backed advantages of the whole plant matrix and then corrects its main weakness.

Foundation, 130 mg. The entry formulation for general endocannabinoid system regulation, wellness across the lifespan, sensitive populations, women's health, and as a defined reset course for patients without active disease.

Advanced Care, 400 mg. The therapeutic formulation for active and advanced disease, covering autoimmune conditions, oncology adjunct at all stages, chronic inflammatory disease, neurodegenerative disease and palliative care.

One blend at two strengths. Both formulations carry the same cannabinoid ratios throughout, and Advanced Care carries roughly three times the load of Foundation. Because the profile is identical, a patient stepping up receives more of the same preparation rather than a different one, which simplifies titration and makes tolerance at Foundation a reliable predictor of tolerance at Advanced Care.

Withdrawn
Delta-8 has been removed from the line
No formulation in this range contains Delta-8-THC. Practitioners holding earlier versions of this reference should note that Tier 2 Active Care, Tier 3B and Neuro Complex are discontinued and their indications are now covered by the two formulations here. No product in the current line is expected to affect a standard urine drug screen, and no written Delta-8 advisory is required before dispensing.
2
Formulations
One blend at two strengths, matched to disease burden.
10
Cannabinoids
Six raised by targeted isolate, four carried by the base at their natural ratios.
3
Month protocol
Standard initial course. One month available as a trial. Full course six to twelve months.
130 to 400
mg per unit
Total cannabinoid delivered per 2 mL suppository.
A Multi-Cannabinoid Formulation.
Not a CBD Product.

Almost all of the published human dosing evidence for cannabinoids has two features that must be stated plainly at the outset, because they define both what the literature supports and what it does not describe. First, the strong evidence is for cannabidiol as a single isolated molecule. Second, it is almost entirely an oral evidence base. The representative oral single molecule CBD doses are recorded below for completeness.

Use context, single molecule CBD, oralRepresentative daily CBD
General use and chronic painapproximately 25 to 150 mg per day8
Acute anxiety, single dosesapproximately 300 to 600 mg16
Parkinson's disease, exploratory trial300 mg per day28
Refractory epilepsy, approved oral solution10 to 20 mg per kg per day, about 700 to 1,400 mg at 70 kg
CBD-rich extract versus purified CBD, epilepsy6.0 versus 25.3 mg per kg per day3
Why this is the wrong yardstick for this line

This product is not a CBD product, and it is not oral. Each suppository delivers ten phytocannabinoids together. Six are raised by targeted isolate, CBD, CBG, CBN, CBDa, CBGa and CBC, and four more are carried by the broad spectrum base at their natural ratios, CBE, CBTC, CBDV and CBL. To read such a formulation through the lens of its CBD content alone, and to benchmark it against single molecule oral CBD dose bands, misrepresents what it is and what it is designed to do. The single molecule figures above are recorded as the boundary of the existing evidence, not as the measure of this line.

The relevant evidence is the evidence on whole, multi-cannabinoid preparations, and it points in a consistent direction: a cannabinoid matrix achieves its effect at substantially lower per-cannabinoid doses than purified CBD, roughly a quarter of the dose in the epilepsy meta-analysis, and without the bell-shaped ceiling that limits the isolate.2,3 The clinical weight of a suppository in this line comes not from any single cannabinoid reaching a high milligram figure, but from a combined load of 130 to 400 mg across ten cannabinoids engaging the inflammatory and immune targets, the oncological targets, and the neurodegenerative targets at once.

Honest boundary
What is hypothesis and what is evidence
That breadth of simultaneous target coverage at a meaningful combined dose is the basis on which the line is positioned as an adjunct under practitioner supervision. The dose-response and meta-analysis evidence is consistent with it. The multiplicative mechanism itself is a reasoned formulation hypothesis rather than a proven quantity, and is presented as such throughout this document.
The Endocannabinoid System.
In Brief.

The endocannabinoid system is a signalling network that helps the body hold itself in balance. Where blood pressure, blood sugar and body temperature each have regulatory mechanisms that pull them back toward a set point, the endocannabinoid system performs a comparable balancing role across the nervous, immune, digestive and endocrine systems. It does not drive a single function so much as moderate many of them, damping signalling that has run too high and supporting it where it has fallen too low.5

It has three working parts. First, two principal receptors: CB1, concentrated in the brain and nervous system, and CB2, concentrated in immune and peripheral tissue. Second, the body's own signalling molecules that act on those receptors, the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-AG. Third, the enzymes that build and break down those molecules, principally FAAH, which clears anandamide, and MAGL, which clears 2-AG. The resting activity of this network is often described as endocannabinoid tone.

Plant cannabinoids interact with this system in two ways. Some bind the receptors directly, as CBN does at CB1. Others act indirectly or at neighbouring targets, as CBD does by slowing the breakdown of anandamide and by acting at the TRPV1 ion channel, the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, the PPAR-gamma nuclear receptor and GPR55. This is the key point for what follows: the cannabinoids in this line act not at one target but across a panel of them. A formulation that engages several of these at once is doing something different from a single molecule acting at a single site.

Broad Spectrum Base,
Boosted With Isolates.

There are three broad ways to formulate a cannabinoid product. Each has a defensible place, and the differences between them are not marketing distinctions but measurable pharmacology.

Isolate only. A single purified cannabinoid, almost always CBD, with everything else removed. Precise and inexpensive, but limited by a bell-shaped dose-response that gives it a narrow effective window, by single target action, and by more frequent adverse effects at the doses required.

Unboosted whole plant extract. A full or broad spectrum extract used as it comes. This recovers the entourage effect and a clean dose-dependent response, but locks the formulator to whatever ratios the extract happens to contain, which are CBD-dominant and leave the therapeutically interesting minors too low to reach a meaningful dose.

A broad spectrum base with targeted isolate boosting, the approach of this line. The base supplies the matrix and its favourable dose-response, and individual isolates are then added to raise the clinically relevant cannabinoids to doses where their documented target engagement becomes meaningful. It asks considerably more of the formulator, including a correction against every incoming lot, and that is the trade it makes.

Purified CBD has a ceiling

The limitation is not theoretical. In a controlled comparison, purified CBD given to mice produced a bell-shaped dose-response in anti-inflammatory and anti-pain testing, effective only in a narrow middle band and losing effect as the dose rose beyond it. A CBD-rich whole extract tested alongside it produced a clean dose-dependent response that kept improving. The authors attributed the difference to the other plant constituents working alongside CBD.2

The clinical signal points the same way. A meta-analysis of observational data in treatment-resistant epilepsy found that patients on CBD-rich extracts reached comparable responder rates to those on purified CBD at roughly a quarter of the dose, an average of 6.0 against 25.3 mg per kg per day, and with significantly fewer mild and severe adverse effects.3

The caveat a careful reader will want stated. At the strict threshold of a 50 per cent or greater seizure reduction the responder rates did not differ significantly between the two. The extract's advantage was in dose efficiency and tolerability rather than in raw ceiling efficacy, and the data is observational rather than randomised. The mechanistic basis proposed for these observations is the entourage effect, the synergy between cannabinoids and terpenes framed in the modern literature by Russo.4

Why the base is a crystal resistant distillate

The choice of base is not incidental, and it is the mechanism by which the rare minor cannabinoids enter the formulation at all rather than having to be bought and added one by one.

Ordinary CBD distillate is a problem for anyone formulating for breadth. Above roughly 60 per cent CBD it crystallises, the molecules stacking into a solid that ruins a batch. The standard industry response is to push the CBD purity higher still, which strips the minor cannabinoids out almost entirely. CBD isolate, at the far end of that same process, contains none at all.

A crystal resistant distillate is engineered for the opposite outcome, and the reason is elegant. The minor cannabinoids are precisely what interrupt crystallisation. Their differing molecular shapes prevent the CBD from packing into an ordered lattice, so the material stays liquid. It follows that a distillate formulated to stay liquid is by necessity a distillate that has retained a high minor cannabinoid fraction. The property that makes it workable and the property that makes it therapeutically interesting are the same property. Material of this type typically carries on the order of 15 to 25 per cent minor cannabinoids alongside its CBD, a far broader profile than ordinary distillate holds and a world apart from isolate.

The practical consequence is that the base supplies the rare minors as a natural, balanced fraction rather than as a stack of separately purchased single cannabinoid isolates. The targeted additions are then reserved for the specific cannabinoids the pharmacology singles out for elevation. That is the structural reason this line can claim genuine breadth alongside a controlled, repeatable composition, and it is an approach comparatively few formulators take.

Why the base alone is not enough

The minor cannabinoids that the target analysis in the next section identifies as the interesting ones, CBG at cytochrome c, CBDa at TNF-alpha, CBN across the protein kinase and glutathione transferase panel, CBC at CB2 and TRPA1, sit in an unmodified extract at concentrations far too low for their documented engagement to mean anything at a sensible dose.

A patient taking such a preparation is, in practice, taking a CBD product with traces of everything else. The pharmacology that makes the whole plant argument compelling is present on the certificate and absent from the effect. Raising those cannabinoids by targeted addition is what closes that gap, and it is the reason this line can claim genuine multi-target coverage rather than merely genuine breadth.

The synthesis

A crystal resistant broad spectrum base is preferred over isolate because it carries the matrix that flattens the bell curve and lowers the effective dose, and because staying liquid is what proves it has kept its minors. Targeted isolates are then added because the base alone cannot deliver those minor cannabinoids at the doses the pharmacology calls for. That is the design the line is built on. The delivered figures are set out in the next section. The materials used, their assays, the quantities of each input and the method by which the profile is achieved remain proprietary to Bonner Biotech LLC.

The Base Material
and the Delivered Doses.

The figures below are delivered doses, meaning the quantity of each cannabinoid that reaches the patient in a single suppository, combining what the crystal resistant base contributes with what the targeted isolates add. They are the figures a prescriber needs and the figures a certificate of analysis on the finished product will show. Every input is screened under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for pesticides, heavy metals and residual solvents, and total THC is not detected in the base material.

Proprietary
Composition detail is withheld from this document
The base material and its assay, the quantities of each input, the split between base-derived and isolate-derived cannabinoid, and the batch scale are proprietary to Bonner Biotech LLC and are not published here. What is published is the delivered dose, which is what a prescriber needs in order to dose a patient and counsel them. Certificates of analysis on the finished product are available for any batch dispensed, on request.
Why the figures are re-derived each batch

The crystal resistant broad spectrum base is naturally produced rather than synthesised or reconstructed, so its cannabinoid distribution is characteristic of the specific production lot and varies from one lot to the next. The isolate additions are near-pure single molecule inputs and do not vary.

Each formulation is dosed so that the total cannabinoid load per suppository stays constant across lots. What shifts is the internal balance of the base-derived fraction, and the isolate charge is corrected against every incoming lot to hold the delivered figures steady. Every production batch is assayed. Practitioners should request the certificate for any batch dispensed rather than relying on these figures indefinitely.

Delivered cannabinoids per finished suppository

These are delivered figures, the quantity of each cannabinoid reaching the patient in one 2 mL suppository, verified by certificate of analysis on the finished product. The final line is the combined contribution of the minor cannabinoids carried by the base, described in section seven.

Milligrams per finished suppository
CannabinoidFoundationAdvanced Care
CBD50.19154.42
CBG29.8991.98
CBN18.5657.09
CBDa9.9730.64
CBGa8.7726.96
CBC6.6120.32
Cannabinoids carried by the base, combined6.0418.57
Total delivered130.0400.0
Total THC, worst case0.0190.057

Net delivered CBD of approximately 50 mg in Foundation and 154 mg in Advanced Care sits within and above the validated chronic pain therapeutic band of 25 to 150 mg per day for oral single molecule CBD.8 That band is a reference point for scale, not a claim of equivalence, since the route and the preparation both differ.

Regulatory
Total THC and the 0.4 mg per container limit
The certificate for the base material reports total THC as not detected. Both figures above charge it at the laboratory's limit of detection, which is the highest value it could possibly hold, and they sit at five and fourteen per cent of the 0.4 mg per container ceiling that takes effect on 12 November 2026.
Network Pharmacology
Foundation.

A 2022 network-based pharmacology study provides a systems-level characterisation of cannabinoid-protein interactions.1 Using molecular docking simulation against eighteen essential protein targets, the authors mapped eight key cannabinoids to four functional modules that together cover the major disease categories where cannabinoid therapy has documented or proposed utility. This line is anchored to that evidence base, with each cannabinoid selected for its measurable binding affinity to disease-relevant protein targets.

What this is
Molecular docking is a computational prediction, not a clinical result
Docking estimates how tightly a molecule is likely to bind a protein in simulation. A strong binding energy indicates a plausible interaction worth pursuing; it does not demonstrate that the interaction occurs at achievable tissue concentrations, or that it produces clinical benefit. The module map below is used here to explain why particular cannabinoids were selected for elevation, and should be read as formulation rationale rather than as evidence of effect.
The four functional modules
ModuleDisease pathways and protein targetsLigands supplied by this line
OneAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate cancer and oxidative stress, through CAT, COMT, CYP17A1, GSTA2, GSTM3, GSTP1 and HMOX1CBD, CBDa, CBN, CBC
TwoThe largest module. Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's pathways, multiple cancer pathways, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, through AKT1, CASP9, PLCG1, PRKCA and PRKCBCBD, CBDa, CBN, CBC, CBGa
ThreeInflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and type 2 diabetes, through CYCS and TNFCBG, CBD, CBDa
FourEpilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and ALS, through CNR1, CNR2, CREB1 and GRIN2BCBC, CBD, CBDa, CBG, CBGa, CBN

The source study also assigned Delta-8 and Delta-9-THC as ligands across Modules 3 and 4. Neither is present in this line, so the GRIN2B target within Module 4 is not engaged by any cannabinoid in these formulations. That gap is stated openly here because it was the pharmacological argument for the discontinued Neuro Complex.

Binding affinities of the formulation cannabinoids

Binding energy below minus 5.0 kcal per mol indicates strong binding in this analysis, and below minus 8.0 indicates very strong binding.

CannabinoidTargetkcal/molRelevance
CBDaTNF-alpha-10.5Strongest TNF binder in the line
CBNCNR1 (CB1)-9.4Strongest CB1 binder tested
CBDCNR2 (CB2)-9.2Strong CB2 immunomodulation
CBDAKT1-8.8Cell survival and growth factor signalling
CBDaAKT1-8.8Cell survival and growth factor signalling
CBNPRKCB-8.5Cell cycle and cancer signalling
CBNCNR2 (CB2)-8.5Immune modulation

No single cannabinoid covers all four functional modules. Coverage across them requires multiple ligands binding multiple targets, which is the principle on which this line is built.

What Each Cannabinoid
Is Doing.
Cannabidiol, CBD
Mechanism

Indirect endocannabinoid modulation via FAAH inhibition and allosteric CB1 modulation, with secondary action at TRPV1, 5-HT1A, PPAR and GPR55. Strong CB2 binding at minus 9.2 kcal per mol.

Network pharmacology

The highest degree centrality of any cannabinoid in the source analysis, engaging 126 protein targets across Modules 1, 2 and 4. Pro-apoptotic action mediated via CASP9.1

Role in the line

Base-derived CBD plus isolate brings delivered CBD to approximately 50 mg in Foundation and 154 mg in Advanced Care. Anti-inflammatory action via TNF-alpha and NF-kB pathways is reported in preclinical ischaemia work.18

Cannabigerol, CBG
Mechanism

Direct CB1 and CB2 partial agonism, alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonism, TRPA1 modulation and PPAR activation.

Network pharmacology

Essential binding partner for cytochrome c in Module 3, engaging CNR1 and CNR2. The CYCS engagement is mechanistically significant for the apoptotic pathway.

Role in the line

Anti-inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts is reported, mediated partly through TRPA1.19 A CBG quinone derivative shows PPAR-mediated neuroprotection in the 6-OHDA Parkinson's model.29 A 2024 controlled field trial reported acute anxiety and stress reduction.20

Cannabinol, CBN
Mechanism

CB1 partial agonist and the strongest CB1 binder tested at minus 9.4 kcal per mol, CB2 active at minus 8.5, with TRPA1 activity, sedative and analgesic action, and appetite support relevant to cachexia.

Network pharmacology

The broadest single cannabinoid coverage in the line, binding CNR1, CNR2, PRKCB, PRKCA, GSTP1, COMT, HMOX1, GSTM3, GSTA2 and CREB1. The COMT binding is relevant to disrupted catecholamine metabolism in Parkinson's.

Role in the line

Sedation is one role but not the dominant one for chronic use. Held proportionally lower relative to CBD than in earlier formulations of this line.

Cannabidiolic acid, CBDa
Mechanism

Selective COX-2 inhibitor with roughly a hundred times the 5-HT1A affinity of CBD, with TRPV1 and TRPA1 modulation.17

Network pharmacology

The strongest TNF-alpha binder in the cannabinoid family at minus 10.5 kcal per mol, also binding AKT1, CAT, CYP17A1, CASP9, PRKCA, CNR1 and CNR2 across all four modules.

Role in the line

The strongest anti-inflammatory profile in the line. COX-2 downregulation in breast cancer cells is reported.21,22 Acidic cannabinoid pharmacology is reviewed in full elsewhere.23 Requires cool storage to limit decarboxylation.

Cannabigerolic acid, CBGa
Mechanism

COX-2 inhibition and PPAR agonism.

Network pharmacology

Essential binding partner for PLCG1 in Module 2, with CNR1 and CNR2 binding. PLCG1 engagement is linked to growth factor receptor and cancer signalling.

Role in the line

Complementary to CBG, contributing COX-2 and PPAR engagement. Raised by isolate, since the base carries no acidic cannabinoid at a useful level.

Cannabichromene, CBC
Mechanism

Selective CB2 agonist24 and the most potent phytocannabinoid activator of TRPA1, with an EC50 of 90 nM.25 Anandamide reuptake inhibition and documented neurogenic activity, one of the few cannabinoids with this property.26

Network pharmacology

Binds PRKCA, PRKCB, GSTP1, HMOX1, GSTM3, GSTA2, CNR1 and CNR2 across Modules 1, 2 and 4. The HMOX1 and glutathione transferase binding addresses oxidative stress pathways.

Role in the line

Anti-inflammatory activity in murine colitis is reported,27 along with cytotoxic activity in cell culture work.30

The cannabinoids carried by the base

The four cannabinoids below are not separately boosted. They are present at the natural ratios of the base and therefore vary from lot to lot. They are not part of the network pharmacology docking dataset, so their contribution is best understood as part of the matrix rather than as a discretely dosed target. They are characterised honestly below, including where the published pharmacology is limited.

CannabinoidWhat is known
Cannabidivarin, CBDVThe propyl homologue of CBD, non-psychoactive. Modulates and desensitises TRPV1, TRPA1 and TRPM8. An anticonvulsant signal is reported in preclinical seizure models and early phase human epilepsy work.
Cannabielsoin, CBEA naturally occurring oxidative transformation product of CBD. Its pharmacology is not well characterised and no defined receptor target has been established.
Cannabicitran, CBTCA minor cyclised cannabinoid with limited characterised pharmacology. No defined receptor activity has been established in the published literature.
Cannabicyclol, CBLA photochemical conversion product of CBC formed naturally as an extract matures. No significant receptor activity has been characterised.
Why Rectal Delivery
in a Long-Chain Lipid Base.

The route and the base are a single design decision. Oral cannabinoids are absorbed poorly and erratically. CBD taken by mouth reaches systemic circulation at under ten per cent, often around six, because cannabinoids are intensely lipophilic, poorly soluble in the gut and heavily metabolised by the liver on first pass.6 The suppository in a lipid base is built to work around both problems at once.

First-pass bypass

The lower and middle rectal veins drain into the systemic circulation rather than through the portal vein and the liver, so a rectally delivered drug sidesteps much of the hepatic first-pass metabolism that limits oral dosing, and avoids the acidic, enzymatic environment of the stomach entirely. This is not a cannabis-specific quirk but an established route principle: for a range of drugs including morphine, metoclopramide, ergotamine, lidocaine and propranolol, rectal administration produces systemic exposure that exceeds the oral route.7,15

The lymphatic route, and why the lipid base is deliberate

The more important mechanism, and the reason the base is a designed delivery system rather than a moulding medium, is lymphatic transport. Molecules with a partition coefficient above log P 5 and high solubility in long-chain triglyceride associate with chylomicrons, the lipid carriers assembled during fat absorption, and are carried into the lymphatic system and from there directly into the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver. CBD sits squarely in this range, with a log P of approximately 6.3.

Co-administration of cannabinoids with long-chain lipids has been shown to increase CBD and THC systemic exposure roughly threefold against a lipid-free preparation, with cannabinoid concentrations in the lymph reaching 100 to 250 times those in plasma.9,10 Oil composition matters to the effect, and long-chain vegetable oils outperform medium-chain ones.14

This reframes the fatty base. A lipophilic cannabinoid in a fatty vehicle releases slowly into the watery mucosal layer, the conventional absorption route, but that is not the route the formulation depends on. Cocoa butter is built from long-chain fatty acids, principally stearic, oleic and palmitic, and apricot kernel oil is largely oleic and linoleic, also long-chain. A medium chain base such as coconut or MCT oil would be absorbed more directly into portal blood and is markedly less lymphotropic, so the cocoa butter and apricot combination is better matched to this mechanism.

The clinical corollary

The lymphatic system is the immune compartment, holding the majority of the body's lymphocytes. The same research that demonstrated lipid-driven lymphatic uptake of cannabinoids also reported prominent immunomodulatory activity, assessed on lymphocytes drawn from multiple sclerosis patients and from cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.10 A lipid-borne cannabinoid therefore does not merely reach the bloodstream, it concentrates in the tissue where immune regulation occurs, which aligns the delivery mechanism with the immunological intent of the line.

Boundary
The honest limit of this claim
The lymphatic transport data is drawn from oral administration and is largely preclinical. The rectum drains partly through lymphatic vessels as well as through the rectal veins, so extending the mechanism to a rectal long-chain lipid suppository is mechanistically reasonable, but the magnitude of lymphatic uptake by the rectal route has not been quantified in controlled human study. No specific bioavailability percentage is asserted anywhere in this document, because none has been established for this route and this base. The one controlled human pharmacokinetic study of a cannabinoid suppository used a THC-hemisuccinate prodrug ester rather than unmodified cannabinoids, so its figures do not transfer to this preparation either.13 The case for the route rests on first-pass avoidance, tolerability and patient access, and it does not require a bioavailability figure.
Structural notes on the base

Cocoa butter is the structural matrix as well as the lymphotropic carrier. It requires approximately 80 per cent of total mass to hold its stable Form V crystal structure, which gives a firm suppository, clean demoulding and a predictable melt at body temperature. Liquid oil load above roughly 20 per cent of unit mass risks soft units, premature melting and phase separation. Apricot kernel oil provides the liquid long-chain lipid phase in which the cannabinoids are carried, ensuring uniform distribution through the unit and consistent release on melt. Both formulations sit inside that structural ceiling. The formulation carries no synthetic surfactant, since an additive intended to drive cannabinoids into the fast aqueous route would work against the lymphatic pathway rather than for it.

Foundation.
General ECS Regulation & Wellness.

Foundation is the entry formulation and the default selection for patients without active autoimmune disease, active oncology or refractory chronic disease. It supports general endocannabinoid system regulation and is appropriate across the lifespan, including cannabinoid-naive patients, older adults, athletes, sensitive populations and men's and women's health applications.

A wellness and titration formulation. Foundation is the standard gateway for any patient intended for escalation to Advanced Care. It is used for initial assessment, for a defined reset course, and as long term maintenance following a course of Advanced Care.

Foundation
General ECS Regulation
Wellness, Sensitive Populations & Women's Health
Delivered per unit
130 mg
Frequency
1 suppository daily
Initial protocol
3 months
Route
Rectal only
Drug screen
Not expected to affect
The reset course

Foundation is also dispensed as a defined reset for patients with no specific diagnosis who want to support endocannabinoid tone directly. The standard course is three months. A one month course is available for patients who want to assess response before committing, presented as a trial rather than a course. Patients who wish to continue may remain on Foundation indefinitely as maintenance.

Foundation and wellness indications
Patient profileDetail
Hypersensitive patientsPatients who experience adverse reactions to standard cannabinoid doses including dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort or heightened sensitivity. Applies whether or not active disease is present, see the acclimatisation note below.
Older adultsAltered pharmacokinetics, polypharmacy considerations, frailty, or general age related sensitivity to therapeutic agents
Cannabinoid-naive patientsAny patient new to phytocannabinoid therapy requiring an introductory load before potential escalation to Advanced Care
Athletic recovery and performanceAthletes seeking inflammation control, recovery support, sleep quality and neuroprotection. Also lower body weight patients under 60 kg where proportional dosing is appropriate.
Mild chronic conditionsMild inflammatory conditions, low grade chronic pain, mild anxiety, mild sleep disruption, early stage chronic disease, general immune support
Wellness and preventionPatients without a specific diagnosis seeking endocannabinoid system support or general anti-inflammatory maintenance
ECS reset courseHealthy patients undertaking a defined one month or three month course to support endocannabinoid tone, with no active disease present
Post-treatment maintenancePatients who have completed a course of Advanced Care and require ongoing endocannabinoid support and inflammation management
Titration gatewayPatients intended for Advanced Care who require a step-on entry point prior to escalation
Women's health
Indication categorySpecific presentations
PerimenopauseBrain fog, anxiety, mood instability, sleep disruption, cognitive symptoms, hormonal fluctuation
MenopauseEstablished menopause with night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, mood disorders, vaginal atrophy
EndometriosisConfirmed or suspected endometriosis, endometrioma, adenomyosis, endometriosis related pelvic pain
Pelvic painChronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, pelvic inflammatory disease sequelae, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor dysfunction
Hormonal mood disordersPMS, PMDD, perimenopausal depression, hormonal anxiety, menstrual cycle related mood disorders
Gynaecological inflammationVulvodynia, vestibulodynia, vaginismus, chronic cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease

Standard escalation protocol. Four weeks on Foundation with good tolerance, then progress to Advanced Care where active autoimmune, oncological, inflammatory or neurodegenerative disease is present. If symptoms are mild and the patient is satisfied on Foundation, continuation without escalation is appropriate. Because both formulations share the same cannabinoid profile, tolerance established on Foundation carries forward and escalation is a change of load rather than a change of preparation.

Hypersensitive patients with active disease

Disease burden is not the only thing that determines starting load. A patient may present with an indication that clearly sits in Advanced Care and still be a poor candidate to start there, because they are hypersensitive to cannabinoids generally or have reacted adversely to them before.

For those patients, begin on Foundation for the first four weeks regardless of diagnosis, then escalate to Advanced Care if tolerance is good. The four weeks serve as an acclimatisation period, allowing the endocannabinoid system time to adjust to a sustained phytocannabinoid load before the higher strength is introduced. Starting a hypersensitive patient directly on 400 mg risks an adverse response that ends the course altogether, and a patient who abandons therapy in week one gains nothing from a formulation matched perfectly to their diagnosis.

Treat this as the default where any of the following apply: a documented adverse reaction to cannabinoids at any dose, marked sensitivity to therapeutic agents in general, mast cell activation syndrome, significant polypharmacy, frailty, low body weight, or a patient who reports themselves as reacting strongly to medication. Where the patient is uncertain, the cautious route costs four weeks and nothing else.

In short
Match the formulation to the diagnosis, the starting point to the patient
Where the two disagree, start low. Escalation is straightforward because both formulations are the same blend, so nothing is lost by beginning on Foundation and everything may be lost by beginning too high.
Advanced Care.
Active, Advanced & Refractory Disease.

Advanced Care is the therapeutic formulation of the line, carrying roughly three times the cannabinoid load of Foundation. It covers the full range of active disease from established autoimmune conditions through to palliative care.

It is intended for patients with a diagnosis requiring sustained intervention. Patients may step up from Foundation after four weeks, or enter directly where established active disease is present and the patient has prior cannabinoid experience. The formulation contains no Delta-8-THC, so it is suitable for patients in employment subject to drug screening and for paediatric oncology contexts under specialist supervision.

Hypersensitive patients begin on Foundation. Four weeks on the lower strength first, even where the diagnosis clearly indicates Advanced Care, as set out in the acclimatisation guidance in the previous section.

Advanced Care
Autoimmune, Oncology Adjunct, Chronic Inflammation
Neurodegenerative & Palliative
Delivered per unit
400 mg
Frequency
1 to 2 suppositories daily
Initial protocol
3 months
Route
Rectal only
Drug screen
Not expected to affect
Dosing
Standard dosing protocol
One suppository daily for active disease management. Two daily, morning and evening, where clinical presentation warrants increased load, including stage 4 disease, severe refractory presentations, palliative care, or higher body weight patients where proportional increase is appropriate. The standard initial protocol is three months, extending to a full course of six to twelve months.
Oncology adjunct
CategorySpecific indications
Solid tumoursBreast, colorectal, prostate, lung, head and neck, cervical, ovarian, bladder, kidney, liver, pancreatic, stomach, oesophageal, thyroid, skin including melanoma
Haematological cancersLeukaemia including AML, CLL and ALL, lymphoma including Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome
Metastatic and stage 4 diseaseMetastatic disease across all solid tumour types where maximum phytocannabinoid load is clinically warranted. Two suppositories daily is the usual protocol.
Refractory haematological diseaseRefractory or relapsed leukaemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma where conventional therapy has failed or is no longer tolerated
Adjunctive oncology supportPatients receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy seeking phytocannabinoid adjunctive support for inflammation, pain, nausea and immune modulation
Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathySevere CIPN requiring high load phytocannabinoid intervention
Paediatric oncologyPaediatric oncology contexts under specialist supervision. Dose proportional to body weight at practitioner discretion.

The oncology positioning of this line rests on preclinical and mechanistic work rather than on clinical trial evidence. Antineoplastic activity of cannabinoids was first reported in NIH-funded work in 1975,31 and cell culture studies continue to report cytotoxic and antiproliferative signals for individual cannabinoids in the blend.30,32 None of that constitutes evidence that these suppositories treat cancer, and the formulation is offered only as an adjunct alongside conventional oncology care under practitioner supervision.

Autoimmune disease
CategorySpecific indications
RheumatologicalRheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, SLE, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, dermatomyositis, polymyositis
Neurological autoimmuneMultiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, CIDP, autoimmune encephalitis
Gastrointestinal autoimmuneCrohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, microscopic colitis
Endocrine autoimmuneHashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, type 1 diabetes, Addison's disease, autoimmune polyglandular syndrome
Skin autoimmunePsoriasis, lichen planus, vitiligo, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, alopecia areata
Vascular autoimmuneVasculitis including ANCA associated, Behcet's disease and Takayasu arteritis, antiphospholipid syndrome
Renal autoimmuneIgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, membranous nephropathy, Goodpasture syndrome
Tick-borne and LymeLyme disease acute and chronic, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, Lyme associated autoimmune arthritis, neurological Lyme, co-infections with Bartonella and Babesia where immune dysregulation is present
Other autoimmuneSarcoidosis, relapsing polychondritis, Still's disease, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, reactive arthritis, SAPHO syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome with autoimmune component, mast cell activation syndrome
End-stage and treatment resistantAdvanced MS, refractory SLE with significant organ involvement, severe Crohn's disease, treatment resistant rheumatoid arthritis, end-stage autoimmune hepatitis. Two suppositories daily is the usual protocol.

The autoimmune rationale rests on TNF-alpha and CB2 engagement, on reported regulation of gene networks in autoimmune T cells,33 and on the immunomodulatory activity observed in the lymphatic transport work described in section eight.10

Chronic inflammatory disease
CategorySpecific indications
Post-infectious inflammationPost-acute COVID inflammatory sequelae, post-viral inflammatory syndromes, post-infectious fatigue with inflammatory burden
Chronic pain syndromesFibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, neuropathic pain with inflammatory component, post-surgical chronic pain, inflammatory chronic low back pain, failed back surgery syndrome
Systemic inflammatory conditionsChronic systemic inflammation, metabolic inflammatory syndrome, cardiovascular disease with inflammatory burden, oxidative stress conditions
Inflammatory bowel diseaseActive ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease including colonic, ileocolonic and perianal, microscopic colitis, indeterminate colitis
Functional GI with inflammationIBS with inflammatory component, post-infectious IBS, bowel dysmotility with inflammatory burden
Immune compromiseHIV and AIDS, post-transplant immune suppression, immunodeficiency disorders requiring immune modulation support
Treatment-resistant painPatients who have plateaued on Foundation or other cannabinoid therapies and require escalation. Suitable for opioid reduction candidates under practitioner guidance.
Neurodegenerative
& Neurological Indications.

Advanced Care is the formulation for neurodegenerative and neurological presentations. The dedicated Neuro Complex adjunct has been discontinued and its indications are covered here.

Neuro Complex was differentiated by its Delta-8-THC content, included for NMDA receptor modulation via GRIN2B. With Delta-8 withdrawn, that distinction no longer exists and the GRIN2B target is not engaged by any cannabinoid in the current line. The remaining pharmacology of the blend is delivered more completely by Advanced Care at a higher cannabinoid load. Practitioners who were combining Neuro Complex with a tier suppository should move those patients to Advanced Care alone.

Transition
Change of protocol for existing patients
Patients previously on Neuro Complex plus a tier suppository should be transitioned to Advanced Care at one to two suppositories daily according to overall disease burden. Total cannabinoid load should be reviewed at the point of transition, and the four week assessment period applies again after any change of formulation.
Neurodegenerative disease
ConditionClinical and mechanistic notes
Alzheimer's diseaseAll stages. The formulation engages cannabinoid receptor targets CNR1 and CNR2 alongside signalling targets AKT1, CASP9, PRKCA, PRKCB and CREB1. The DAZACANN trial, NCT07091747, using CBD with THC over 24 months is ongoing. Peer-reviewed studies report tau pathology attenuation in 5xFAD mice and reduction in dementia related agitation with cannabinoid extracts.
Parkinson's diseaseAll stages. The Chagas 2014 exploratory double blind trial showed quality of life improvement with CBD. A 2025 randomised controlled trial at Buriram Hospital used CBD with THC. The CBG quinone derivative VCE-003.2 showed PPAR mediated neuroprotection in the 6-OHDA model, which is of direct relevance given the CBG content of this formulation.
Lewy body dementiaLewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia and related alpha-synuclein pathologies
Frontotemporal dementiaFrontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasia, behavioural variant FTD
Vascular dementiaPost-stroke vascular dementia, small vessel disease dementia, mixed dementia
ALS and motor neurone diseasePublished molecular docking research reports CNR1 binding at minus 9.4 kcal per mol for CBN, which is present in both formulations. Preclinical studies suggest neuroprotective activity relevant to ALS models.
Huntington's diseaseA Sativex-like CBD with THC combination showed neuroprotective effects in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model. Two clinical trials, CBD in 1991 and Sativex in 2016, showed safety and tolerability without demonstrating efficacy.
Multiple system atrophyMultiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration

The neurodegenerative literature for cannabinoids is largely preclinical, and the human trials that exist are small, mostly open label, and report safety and tolerability more consistently than efficacy.34,35 The DAZACANN study referenced in the table is the open label extension arm of a Brazilian trial, uncontrolled and unblinded, and should not be presented to patients as controlled evidence.

Acquired and injury-related
ConditionClinical notes
Stroke recoveryPost-stroke rehabilitation and cerebral ischaemia recovery. Peer-reviewed research suggests cannabinoid support of memory and neuroprotective pathways in cerebral ischaemia models.
Traumatic brain injuryTBI recovery at all stages, post-concussion syndrome, chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Spinal cord injurySpinal cord injury with neurological sequelae, central sensitisation, spasticity
Post-viral neurologicalLong COVID neurological symptoms, post-viral encephalitis, post-viral cognitive impairment, POTS with neurological involvement
Neuroinflammatory and other neurological
ConditionClinical notes
Multiple sclerosisRelapsing remitting, secondary progressive and primary progressive MS. Sativex is approved for MS spasticity in a number of countries. Two suppositories daily where both neurological symptoms and systemic inflammatory burden are significant.
NeuroinflammationChronic neuroinflammation of any origin, autoimmune encephalitis, neuromyelitis optica, CNS vasculitis
Peripheral neuropathyDiabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, small fibre neuropathy
EpilepsyDrug resistant epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, focal onset seizures. Adjunctive to conventional anti-epileptic therapy only.
Neuropathic painCentral and peripheral neuropathic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, post-herpetic neuralgia, phantom limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome
Memory and cognitionAge related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive decline, chemotherapy related cognitive impairment
Psychiatric with neurological basisTreatment resistant depression with neuroinflammatory component, PTSD with neurological involvement, OCD, Tourette syndrome

The epilepsy entry is the best evidenced indication in this section, though the human evidence is for oral CBD preparations rather than for this formulation or this route. Anticonvulsant activity has also been reported for cannabichromene in a Dravet model.36

Palliative and terminal care. Advanced Care at two suppositories daily is the standard protocol for any terminal diagnosis where maximum symptom support is the priority. Pain, inflammation, nausea, appetite and anxiety are addressed within a formulation containing no Delta-8-THC, so there is no drug screening consideration and no written advisory requirement.

Administration, Course
& Interactions.
Dosing summary
Both formulations
FormulationPer unitFrequencyRouteDrug screen
Foundation130 mg1 per dayRectal onlyNot expected to affect
Advanced Care400 mg1 to 2 per dayRectal onlyNot expected to affect
Selection at a glance
PresentationFormulationProtocol
No active disease, wellness or resetFoundation1 daily, one or three months
Cannabinoid-naive, any destinationFoundation first1 daily for four weeks, then review
Sensitive, elderly or low body weightFoundation1 daily, maintain
Women's health presentationsFoundation1 daily, six to twelve months
Hypersensitive, any diagnosisFoundation first1 daily for four weeks, then escalate
Active autoimmune or inflammatory diseaseAdvanced Care1 daily
Oncology adjunct, stage 1 to 3Advanced Care1 daily
Stage 4, refractory or palliativeAdvanced Care2 daily, morning and evening
Neurodegenerative diseaseAdvanced Care1 to 2 daily by disease burden
Completed a course of Advanced CareFoundation1 daily as maintenance
Duration
Three months is the standard initial protocol
Dispense and set expectations for three months at first prescription. A one month course is available for patients who want to assess response before committing, and should be presented as a trial rather than a course. The full course for most patients runs between six and twelve months. There is no short course or acute use option in this line, and patients who discontinue early are unlikely to achieve the response that continued use produces.
Administration

Standard administration is one suppository rectally each evening. Two suppository daily dosing, morning and evening, may be appropriate in advanced and refractory presentations. Suppositories are for rectal use only and must not be taken orally. Store below 25 degrees Celsius, since CBDa and CBGa decarboxylate on warming and the acidic fraction is where much of the anti-inflammatory profile sits.

Drug interactions

Cannabinoids in these formulations inhibit CYP2C9 and CYP3A4. Review the patient's medication list for substrates of these enzymes, including warfarin, certain statins, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants and chemotherapeutic agents, and monitor accordingly. This is the most clinically consequential caution in the document and applies at both strengths, more so at Advanced Care.

CBN may potentiate the sedative effect of opioids and benzodiazepines. Because Advanced Care carries approximately 57 mg of CBN per suppository, evening administration is preferred and patients on sedating medication should be counselled accordingly.

Regulatory position

Total THC in both formulations is below the federal limit of 0.4 mg per container that takes effect on 12 November 2026, on worst case arithmetic charging the base material at its laboratory limit of detection. Each production batch is verified by certificate of analysis. Practitioners should request the batch certificate for any lot dispensed.

Sources.
Linked and Checked.

Every link below was opened and confirmed to resolve. 28 of the 34 sources are open access, meaning the full text is readable by anyone with no login, payment or institutional subscription. The remaining 6 are marked abstract only, where the publisher holds the full text behind a paywall and no legitimate free version exists. Where the strongest source was paywalled, a freely readable paper covering the same compound and mechanism has been given instead and identified as such.

1
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3
Pamplona FA, da Silva LR, Coan AC. Potential clinical benefits of CBD-rich cannabis extracts over purified CBD in treatment-resistant epilepsy: observational data meta-analysis. Frontiers in Neurology. 2018;9:759. A corrigendum revising some figures appears at Front Neurol 2018;9:1050. Open access
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Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;163(7):1344–1364. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3165946/
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Lu HC, Mackie K. Review of the endocannabinoid system. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. 2021;6(6):607–615. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7855189/
6
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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6275223/
7
Mattes RD, Shaw LM, Edling-Owens J, Engelman K, ElSohly MA. Bypassing the first-pass effect for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 1993;44(3):745–747. Abstract only
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8383856/
8
Bhaskar A, Bell A, Boivin M, et al. Consensus recommendations on dosing and administration of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain: results of a modified Delphi process. Journal of Cannabis Research. 2021;3:22. Open access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-021-00073-1
9
Zgair A, Wong JC, Lee JB, et al. Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. American Journal of Translational Research. 2016;8(8):3448–3459. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5009397/
10
Zgair A, Lee JB, Wong JCM, et al. Oral administration of cannabis with lipids leads to high levels of cannabinoids in the intestinal lymphatic system and prominent immunomodulation. Scientific Reports. 2017;7:14542. Open access
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-15026-z
13
ElSohly MA, Gul W, Walker LA. Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of Δ9-THC-hemisuccinate in a suppository formulation as an alternative to capsules for the systemic delivery of Δ9-THC. Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. 2018;1(1):44–53. Open access
https://karger.com/mca/article/1/1/44/189041/Pharmacokinetics-and-Tolerability-of-9-THC
14
Feng W, Qin C, Abdelrazig S, et al. Vegetable oils composition affects the intestinal lymphatic transport and systemic bioavailability of co-administered lipophilic drug cannabidiol. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2022;624:121947. Author manuscript, University of Nottingham repository. Open access
https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/8771198
15
van Hoogdalem EJ, de Boer AG, Breimer DD. Pharmacokinetics of rectal drug administration, part I. General considerations and clinical applications of centrally acting drugs. Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 1991;21(1):11–26. Abstract only
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1717195/
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Bergamaschi MM, Queiroz RH, Chagas MH, et al. Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naïve social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011;36(6):1219–1226. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3079847/
17
Bolognini D, Rock EM, Cluny NL, et al. Cannabidiolic acid prevents vomiting in Suncus murinus and nausea-induced behaviour in rats by enhancing 5-HT1A receptor activation. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2013;168(6):1456–1470. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3596650/
18
Khaksar S, Bigdeli MR. Intra-cerebral cannabidiol infusion-induced neuroprotection is partly associated with the TNF-α/TNFR1/NF-κB pathway in transient focal cerebral ischaemia. Brain Injury. 2017;31(13–14):1932–1943. Abstract only
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28872345/
19
Lowin T, Tigges-Perez MS, Constant E, Pongratz G. Anti-inflammatory effects of cannabigerol in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures are partly mediated by TRPA1. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(1):855. Open access
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/1/855
20
Cuttler C, Stueber A, Cooper ZD, Russo E. Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial. Scientific Reports. 2024;14:16163. Open access
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66879-0
21
Takeda S, Okazaki H, Ikeda E, et al. Down-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by cannabidiolic acid in human breast cancer cells. Journal of Toxicological Sciences. 2014;39(5):711–716. Open access
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/39/5/39_711/_article
22
Hirao-Suzuki M, Takeda S, Koga T, Takiguchi M, Toda A. Cannabidiolic acid dampens the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Journal of Toxicological Sciences. 2020;45(4):227–236. Open access
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/45/4/45_227/_html/-char/en
23
Singh SK, Antoine C, Tse C, et al. Therapeutic potential of acidic cannabinoids: an update. Journal of Cannabis Research. 2026;8:25. Open access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00387-y
24
Udoh M, Santiago M, Devenish S, McGregor IS, Connor M. Cannabichromene is a cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonist. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2019;176(23):4537–4547. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6932936/
25
De Petrocellis L, Ligresti A, Schiano Moriello A, et al. Effects of cannabinoids and cannabinoid-enriched cannabis extracts on TRP channels and endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;163(7):1479–1494. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3165957/
26
Shinjyo N, Di Marzo V. The effect of cannabichromene on adult neural stem/progenitor cells. Neurochemistry International. 2013;63(5):432–437. Abstract only
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23941747/
27
Romano B, Borrelli F, Fasolino I, et al. The cannabinoid TRPA1 agonist cannabichromene inhibits nitric oxide production in macrophages and ameliorates murine colitis. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2013;169(1):213–229. Open access
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3632250/
28
Chagas MH, Zuardi AW, Tumas V, et al. Effects of cannabidiol in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease: an exploratory double-blind trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2014;28(11):1088–1098. Abstract only
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25237116/
29
Rodríguez-Carreiro S, Navarro E, Muñoz E, Fernández-Ruiz J. The cannabigerol derivative VCE-003.2 exerts therapeutic effects in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned mice: comparison with the classic dopaminergic replacement therapy. Brain Sciences. 2023;13(9):1272. Open access
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/9/1272
30
Hwang YN, Park JH, Na HH, et al. Cannabichromene: integrative modulation of apoptosis, ferroptosis, and endocannabinoid signaling in pancreatic cancer therapy. Cell Death Discovery. 2025;11:377. A laboratory study in cell culture, not a clinical study. Open access
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-025-02674-8
31
Munson AE, Harris LS, Friedman MA, Dewey WL, Carchman RA. Antineoplastic activity of cannabinoids. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 1975;55(3):597–602. NIH-funded work carried out at the Medical College of Virginia. Open access
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32
Anis O, Vinayaka AC, Shalev N, et al. Cannabis-derived compounds cannabichromene and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol interact and exhibit cytotoxic activity against urothelial cell carcinoma. Molecules. 2021;26(2):465. Open access
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33
Kozela E, Juknat A, Gao F, Kaushansky N, Coppola G, Vogel Z. Pathways and gene networks mediating the regulatory effects of cannabidiol, a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, in autoimmune T cells. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2016;13:136. Open access
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34
Valdeolivas S, Sagredo O, Delgado M, Pozo MA, Fernández-Ruiz J. Effects of a Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids on disease progression in R6/2 mice, an experimental model of Huntington's disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2017;18(4):684. Clasping improved; rotarod performance did not. Open access
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35
Komedera M, Wojda U, Kiryk A. Cannabinoids in Alzheimer's disease: animal–human evidence and clinical pharmacology challenges. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2026;20:1833021. Open access
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36
Anderson LL, Ametovski A, Luo JL, et al. Cannabichromene, related phytocannabinoids, and 5-fluoro-cannabichromene have anticonvulsant properties in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome. ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 2021;12(2):330–339. Abstract only
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Terms Used
in This Document.
Cannabinoids and extract types
CBD, cannabidiolThe principal non-psychoactive cannabinoid. Acts indirectly on the endocannabinoid system and on several other receptors.
CBG, cannabigerolA minor cannabinoid that partially activates the cannabinoid receptors. Studied for neuroprotection and inflammation.
CBN, cannabinolA cannabinoid formed as THC ages. The strongest binder of the CB1 receptor in this set, sedative and immune active.
CBC, cannabichromeneA cannabinoid acting at the CB2 receptor and at sensory ion channels. One of the few with nerve cell growth activity.
CBDa, cannabidiolic acidThe raw, acidic form of CBD found in the unheated plant. A strong anti-inflammatory binder.
CBGa, cannabigerolic acidThe acidic form of CBG. Anti-inflammatory and metabolic targets.
CBDV, cannabidivarinA close chemical relative of CBD. Non-psychoactive, studied for seizures.
CBE, cannabielsoinA natural breakdown product of CBD with little defined pharmacological activity.
CBTC, cannabicitranA minor cyclised cannabinoid with little defined pharmacological activity.
CBL, cannabicyclolA natural conversion product of CBC with no significant defined activity.
THCThe main psychoactive cannabinoid. Not detected in the base material used in this line.
CRD, crystal resistant distillateA hemp extract processed to stay liquid rather than crystallise, which necessarily means it has retained a high proportion of minor cannabinoids.
IsolateA single cannabinoid purified to near 100 per cent, with everything else removed.
Broad spectrumAn extract containing many cannabinoids but with THC reduced to undetectable levels.
Entourage effectThe principle that cannabinoids and related plant compounds act more effectively together than any one does alone.
DecarboxylationThe heat-driven loss of an acidic cannabinoid's acid group, converting CBDa to CBD. The reason acidic cannabinoids need cool storage.
The endocannabinoid system and receptors
ECSThe body's balancing signalling network spanning the nervous, immune and other systems.
CB1 (CNR1)The cannabinoid receptor concentrated in the brain and nerves.
CB2 (CNR2)The cannabinoid receptor concentrated in immune and peripheral tissue.
EndocannabinoidsThe body's own cannabinoid-like signalling molecules, chiefly anandamide and 2-AG.
FAAH, MAGLThe enzymes that break down anandamide and 2-AG respectively.
Endocannabinoid toneThe resting level of activity in the endocannabinoid system.
Agonist, partial agonistA molecule that activates a receptor. A partial agonist activates it only partway.
Allosteric modulatorA molecule that changes how a receptor responds without binding its main site.
TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPM8Temperature and irritant sensing ion channels involved in pain and inflammation.
GPR55A receptor sometimes described as a third cannabinoid receptor.
PPAR, PPAR-gammaA nuclear receptor regulating metabolism and inflammation.
5-HT1AA serotonin receptor involved in mood and anti-anxiety effects.
Molecular and protein targets
Network pharmacologyMapping how a compound acts across many protein targets at once, rather than at a single target.
Molecular dockingA computer simulation that estimates how tightly a molecule binds a protein. A prediction, not a measurement.
Binding affinity (kcal/mol)The strength of that predicted binding. A more negative number means stronger binding.
Degree centralityHow many targets a molecule connects to in the network. High centrality means broad action.
TNF-alphaA central inflammatory signalling protein and a major target in autoimmune disease.
AKT1, CASP9, PRKCA, PRKCB, PLCG1Cell survival, cell death and cell cycle proteins relevant to cancer signalling.
CYCS, cytochrome cA protein central to the programmed cell death pathway.
COMTAn enzyme in dopamine metabolism, relevant to Parkinson's disease.
CAT, GSTA2, GSTM3, GSTP1, HMOX1Antioxidant and detoxification proteins that handle oxidative stress.
CREB1A gene regulation protein involved in memory and neuron survival.
GRIN2B, NMDA receptorA glutamate receptor subunit involved in nerve over-stimulation in neurodegenerative disease. Not engaged by any cannabinoid in the current line.
COX-2The inflammation enzyme targeted by common anti-inflammatory drugs.
CYP2C9, CYP3A4Liver enzymes that process many medicines. Cannabinoids inhibit them, which is the basis for the drug interaction caution.
Delivery and pharmacokinetics
BioavailabilityThe fraction of a dose that actually reaches the bloodstream.
First-pass metabolismThe loss of an orally absorbed drug to the liver before it reaches the rest of the body.
LipophilicFat-loving. Dissolves in oil rather than water. Cannabinoids are strongly lipophilic.
log PA number describing lipophilicity. Above 5 indicates strong fat solubility and the potential for lymphatic transport.
Lymphatic transportAbsorption of fat-soluble molecules through the lymphatic system, which bypasses the liver.
ChylomicronsThe fat-carrying particles that ferry lipophilic molecules into the lymph.
Long-chain triglycerideA long fatty acid type that drives lymphatic absorption. Cocoa butter and apricot kernel oil are long-chain.
Medium-chain triglycerideA shorter fatty acid type such as coconut oil, absorbed mainly into the blood and far less lymphotropic.
Portal veinThe vein carrying gut-absorbed substances to the liver.
Form VThe stable crystal form of cocoa butter that gives a firm suppository and clean release.
COA, certificate of analysisThe laboratory report verifying a material's contents and purity.
ISO/IEC 17025The international standard for the competence of testing laboratories.