CANNABIS Suppositories

This is a schematic of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). When medicinal products are ingested orally (swallowed) they traverse the GIT, with disintegration/dissolution occurring in the acidic gastric fluid (stomach) and most of the absorption occurring from the small intestine, which possesses the major exposed luminal (internal) surface area present within the GIT. Some substances are absorbed from the large intestine (colon), and this is also a site of major water absorption from the digestive fluid content of the GIT (water is also absorbed from the stomach).

The liver is the major organ of detoxification and contains a number of enzyme systems that metabolize and inactivate a wide array of molecular structures that are essentially foreign to the body (a defense mechanism against potential toxins – i.e. many administered prescription drugs). This initial inactivation is referred to as the hepatic first pass metabolism and can significantly reduce the amount of an active drug that initially reaches the systemic circulation and is available for its desired pharmacological activity at the  target site.