Since the medical use of cannabis was legalised in 2018, allowing specialist clinicians to prescribe for a number of indications, access to the medications has been slowly on the rise. One of the most common forms of medical cannabis in the UK is an oral oil which is administered using an oral syringe.
Medical cannabis products can now be prescribed by specialist doctors in the UK. There is clinical evidence for a range of conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
Epidyolex is an oral CBD-based oil solution that is licensed for use in some cases of epilepsy. This medication, amongst other unlicensed options available, is administered via drops from an oral syringe to be absorbed under the tongue (sublingually).
According to experts at Sapphire Medical Clinics, “one of the challenges faced by medical cannabis users is determining and delivering the proper dosage of medicine.”
So, in this article, we will walk through how to take medical cannabis oil using a syringe to deliver the dose sublingually (under the tongue).
Read the product instructions carefully
Prior to administering your medication, ensure you have carefully read the accompanying instructions from beginning to end. It is important to make sure you only take the prescribed dose – this will usually start off low and continuously increase as your treatment period progresses or until you reach the maximum dose.
Measure your medical cannabis oil accurately
As previously stated, it will be important to make sure your doses are accurately measured. This dose will vary from patient to patient and depending on the point in your treatment period. The oral syringe which accompanies the product can be used to determine the proper dose.
The dose may be given in decimal points. Make sure to read this clearly as it may result in a too large or too small dose.
Insert the end of the syringe into the bottle, ensuring that there is an adequate seal. Then slowly turn the bottle upside down before drawing the oil into the syringe to the appropriate measure.
Apply the oil under your tongue
Once you have measured the appropriate dose, place the tip of the syringe under your tongue and gently squeeze the end down to release the oil, ensuring you don’t squirt the oil to the back of your throat as this can cause choking.
Hold the oil under your tongue for 5-10 minutes to ensure that it is fully absorbed. Taking medical cannabis in this way allows the active ingredients to absorb effectively through the thin skin under the tongue and reach the bloodstream more quickly than other products such as capsules and tablets.
And there you have it – a simple guide to correctly administering medical cannabis oils, sublingually. You can also find a video guide on how to take medical cannabis via an oral syringe here.