---
title: Can CBD or THC be Made Water-Soluble?
description: CBD and THC are hydrophobic and not water-soluble. With ultrasonic processing they can, however, be formulated into fully water-compatible nanoemulsions.
image: https://blog.sonomechanics.com/hubfs/Processes_and_tests/Cannabis/cbd-oil-tincture.jpg
---

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# Sonomechanics Blog

## [Can CBD or THC be Made Water-Soluble?](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/water-soluble-cbd)

 \[fa icon="calendar"\] Jul 3, 2016, 10:11:12 AM / by [Alexey Peshkovsky, Ph.D.](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/author/alexey-peshkovsky-ph-d)

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![thc nanoemulsions, water soluble cbd](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Processes_and_tests/Cannabis/cbd-oil-tincture.jpg?width=133&name=cbd-oil-tincture.jpg)

Cannabinoids (CBD, THC, etc.) are hydrophobic (water-hating) oily substances and, as such, not water-**soluble**. They can, however, be formulated to be water-**compatible** and **appear** water-soluble.

The term "water-soluble CBD" has lately been extensively used throughout the medical cannabis industry. "Water-soluble" means able to homogeneously incorporate into water by separating into molecules or ions (**dissolve** like sugar, alcohol or salt). Oily substances, however, are repelled by water, which forces them to stay separate from it.

CBD, THC and many other oils can, however, be made water **compatible** if they are formulated as **micro**- or **nanoemulsions**, which are stable and visually homogeneous oil/water mixtures. The definitions of these emulsion types, important differences between them and methods by which they can be prepared are provided in our earlier blog post: "[**Achieving Stability of Oil-in-Water and Water-in-Oil Emulsion Products**](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/achieving-stability-of-oil-in-water-and-water-in-oil-emulsion-products)" as well as in this free eBook:

 [![Guide to making stable emulsions](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/478120/57274140-9cd5-4b3c-b729-fea52fba1fd5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/478120/57274140-9cd5-4b3c-b729-fea52fba1fd5)

Both micro- and nanoemulsions can be prepared in concentrated forms that are fully miscible with water and, therefore, **appear** water-soluble. Both require the use of **[surfactants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant)**, which dilute the products, but are not otherwise a major concern, since several natural options are available with minimal negative effects. It is, of course, beneficial to use as little surfactants as possible. This is where nanoemulsions have a clear advantage: the amounts of surfactants used for their preparation are up to **10 times** lower that those needed to make microemulsions.

#### Benefits of CBD and THC Nanoemulsions

Besides being **water-compatible** and easily mixed into beverages at essentially any desired concentrations, cannabis extract nanoemulsions (nano-cannabinoids) provide exceptionally high **bioavailability** and **therapeutic effect**, and are absorbed by the body, either orally or through the skin, very rapidly and completely. The uptake starts to occur in the mouth almost immediately upon oral administration. This means higher **potency** and faster **onset of action** for lower **doses**.

Further information on CBD and THC nanoemulsions, including how they can be prepared using [**ultrasonic liquid processors**](http://sonomechanics.com/products_services/1200_w_bench-scale_processor/), is provided in our recent blog post: "[**Are Cannabinoids More Effective in Nano Form?**](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/ultrasonic-production-of-nano-cannabinoids)"

Have comments? Please do not hesitate to leave them below. We are preparing more articles on the topic of Medical Cannabis. Subscribe to our blog and you will be notified when they go live!

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 Topics: [Emulsion-based Products](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/topic/emulsion-based-products), [Medical Cannabis](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/topic/medical-cannabis)

![Alexey Peshkovsky, Ph.D.](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/6ff53a996fadbdd6cf3c0528dcf919d5)

#### Written by [Alexey Peshkovsky, Ph.D.](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/author/alexey-peshkovsky-ph-d)

Dr. Alexey Peshkovsky is the Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer of Industrial Sonomechanics. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Columbia University. With more than 30 years of experience as a researcher, entrepreneur, product developer, and scientific director, his work has focused primarily on the design of ultrasonic instrumentation and the development of ultrasonic processes for a broad range of industrial applications. Dr. Peshkovsky is the lead author of an extensive body of scientific work, including journal publications, patents, conference presentations, and books.

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- [Emulsion-based Products (39)](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/topic/emulsion-based-products)
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- [Theory of Ultrasonic Processing (6)](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/topic/theory-of-ultrasonic-processing)
- [Wet Milling and Dispersing (4)](https://blog.sonomechanics.com/blog/topic/wet-milling-and-dispersing)
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