The medical marijuana industry, though still relatively young, has reached a critical juncture. As it continues to grow, it often follows the “path of least resistance”—adapting and evolving more in response to market demand than to the clinical needs of patients. The industry has introduced what are often referred to as ‘me-too’ products—formulations that lack meaningful differentiation or therapeutic innovation.
One of the most overlooked and unresolved issues remains the low oral bioavailability of cannabinoids. According to studies such as Cannabinoid Formulations and Delivery Systems: Current and Future Options to Treat Pain, the bioavailability of orally consumed cannabinoids is approximately 6%—compared to intravenous administration. In practice, this means that 94% of the active compounds are not reaching the bloodstream, diminishing potential therapeutic benefits.
Why Oral Delivery Still Matters
Although smoking or vaporizing marijuana delivers higher bioavailability, most medical professionals do not prefer these methods. Health care providers typically recommend oral delivery—such as oils or capsules—because it promotes patient safety, ease of use, consistency, and compliance. However, oral formulations often fail to effectively deliver active compounds into the bloodstream, which leaves patients experiencing inconsistent or suboptimal therapeutic outcomes.
This is where the industry must turn its focus: innovation grounded in clinical science and pharmacokinetics. Without it, medical marijuana risks remaining a fringe alternative rather than a mainstream medical solution.
Barriers to True Innovation
One reason for the slow pace of progress is that the market hasn’t demanded it—yet. Semi-medical or recreational use has fueled the growth of the sector, where therapeutic consistency is not the primary concern. This has allowed producers to thrive without significantly improving the core product experience for patients and prescribing doctors.
But that’s beginning to change.
A Case Study in Meaningful Innovation: STENOCARE and ASTRUM OIL
European medical marijuana company STENOCARE has invested in pharmaceutical-grade R&D since 2019. The goal of the company is to develop marijuana oil products that directly address the challenge of poor bioavailability.
The consistent work at the company led to the development of ASTRUM OIL, a medical marijuana oil designed to optimize uptake in the body. Collaborating with a team of former Novo Nordisk researchers, STENOCARE chose to conduct a pharmacokinetic study in dogs that compared ASTRUM OIL with a standard medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil commonly used in many “me-too” products. The results:
- 2.6x higher uptake when taken with food
- 15x higher uptake when taken without food
- More consistent uptake across subjects
- Reduced time to peak concentration from two to four hours to just one hour
These findings suggest that ASTRUM OIL not only improves the efficiency of delivery but also offers greater ability to predict for doctors and patients—a critical factor in medical treatment.
A Path Forward for the Industry
This type of innovation represents a shift from superficial features (like high-THC potency) toward clinically meaningful product performance. It also helps position medical marijuana as a legitimate therapeutic option in line with the rigor expected of the pharmaceutical industry.
What STENOCARE has demonstrated through ASTRUM OIL is that innovation is not just possible—it’s necessary. As more companies commit to scientific R&D and evidence-backed development, we can be optimistic that the next wave of products will be more patient-centric, data-driven, and therapeutically relevant.