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F 26 October 2017 Tablets & Capsules formulation & regulation A look into the world of cannabinoid formulation David Schaible PharmaCann The cannabis industry exists in a Wild West environment, where state law-abiding scientists and fringe characters operate under a variety of conflicting regulations. This article describes that world and provides advice to formulators on the science of developing medicinal cannabinoid products. or ages, cultures all over the world have recognized the medicinal value of cannabinoids and they were widely used that way in the USA until about 1937. Yet in recent years, both medicinal and recreational cannabinoids have become a growth industry. How, why, and when things changed is beyond the scope of this article, which instead discusses some of the scientific considerations of formulat- ing cannabinoids into tablets and capsules. As you probably know, the human body has endo- cannabinoid receptors that respond to phytocannabi- noids and synthetic cannabinoids. The market seems to have similar receptors because today cannabinoids are a big growth industry in the USA, one many people liken to the Wild West. That is an interesting analogy and somewhat true. There are good guys—that's us on the pharma side—and outlaws. Several high-tech companies are providing excellent products with filed intellectual property to support them. The outlaws include black Photo by Colleen Mairéad Hughes