Why liquid filling technology is the best choice for your CBD product
In the last decade, cannabis has gained ground in the field of self-care products worldwide, which has facilitated its commercialization. This has generated a boom of derivative products, which has allowed various governments around the world to see their production and legalization with better eyes and fewer restrictions.
According to Fortune Business Insight estimates, in 2020 the global legal cannabis market was close to $20.4 billion and is expected to reach $197.7 billion by 2028. This growth is attributed to the trend of countries legalizing cannabis-based products, including Cannabidiol or CBD.
Today, the markets of the European Union, North America, the United Kingdom and some Latin American countries have opened their doors to CBD products and since then more and more countries are following in their footsteps.
What is CBD and what is it used for?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural substance from the Cannabis sativa plant, which is neither psychoactive nor psychotropic and is used as an adjunct in the treatment of pain, inflammation, anxiety, among other illnesses.
This substance is currently approved in the U.S. as a treatment for pain and certain ailments, such as convulsions; and despite being a derivative of marijuana, it does not generate hallucinogenic effects, as do other derivatives of marihuana.
CBD acts on certain receptors in the body, as follows:
CB1
Which is found in the brain and is responsible for the production of hormones, neurotransmitters and the action of neurons.
CB2
Found in the lymphoid organs such as the spleen or bone marrow, which are responsible for generating a response to infections or inflammation in the body.
What conditions are treated with CBD products?
The use of CBD products and their commercialization differ greatly, according to the country or legislation under which they are found. However, the most common applications of the product are being directed to the following conditions and/or diseases:
- Epilepsy
- Post-Traumatic Stress
- Insomnia
- Inflammations
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Skin problems such as Psoriasis
In addition, because CBD is oily in nature, it is well accepted by a wide variety of patients, who find its consumption much more pleasant than that of other supplements or treatments.
CBD product dosage forms
Currently, CBD products are marketed in two formats.
On the one hand, in liquid and bottled presentation, whose dosage must be done directly by the patient through a dropper; or in liquid-filled capsules, which can be soft or hard and have the advantage of having a dosage already included in each capsule, which avoids overdosage.
But beyond the ease of administration, liquid-filled capsules have another great advantage: because the CBD is encapsulated in a barrier, which can be of gelatin or vegetable origin, the patient does not have direct contact with the oil, which has a bitter taste, something that can be unpleasant for some people.
In addition, if the capsule is hard, there is the added benefit that the odor of the oil, similar to that of marijuana, will not be filtered; thus obtaining a capsule without taste and odor which will be the best option for any patient.
Production Advantages
Although hard capsules for liquids have existed for decades, advances in production processes in recent years have led to increased competition and lower prices for these products , which are now used in medicines of all kinds.
Although hard capsules for liquids have been around for decades, the advances in production processes in recent years that are now used in medicines of all kinds have led to the development of a new type of liquid capsule.
The following are some of its most important benefits:
Fast manufacturing
While soft capsules take two to three days from gelatin preparation to packaging, all process cycle steps for liquid-filled hard capsules are completed in one day, including banding or sealing of the capsules.
Avoid the risk of oxygen migration into the interior
Because they do not have plasticizers like their soft counterparts, the risk of oxygen leaking into the capsule is minimal, which could lead to oxidation in the formulation.
No waste of raw materials
While soft capsules have a waste of up to 40% of raw materials during production, liquid-filled capsules have minimal waste, which helps to optimize production costs.
Flexibility in production scale
Another benefit that liquid-filled hard capsules offer when working with CBD products is the ability to easily adapt to any scale of production. This is of great importance since, as a growing industry, it is difficult to estimate the batches that may be needed for long-term commercialization.
The process of encapsulation of liquids, or in this case of oil in hard capsule, can be carried out in the producer’s own facilities and with the same encapsulation machines as for dry formulations (with some special attachments). Even small test batches can be generated and their production can be adjusted according to market needs.
While the production of soft capsules is highly complex and requires expensive and specific machinery, which means that in 90% of the cases, it must be outsourced, increasing costs, development times and raw materials.
Therefore, it is considered that liquid-filled hard capsules are the best format for producers who so far are venturing into the CBD market, or any other market that requires liquid or mixed formulations, since it allows scaling up production, with the guarantee that much higher market shares can be covered in the future, without the need to change presentation or format.
Versatile technology for a growing industry
Currently, many countries around the world are seeking to update their local legislation to benefit from the new perspective with which medical science is approaching cannabis derivatives.
An example of this is the government of Colombia which, despite the difficulties in the legislative field, has already commercialization laboratories of CBD products for export for figures exceeding 8 million dollars in less than two years and which is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
The opportunities in the CBD market are very attractive and are improving as governments ease their restrictions on CBD products. The key is to enter the market at an early stage to take advantage of new opportunities and partners that arise in each region.
