Taking cannabis with fatty foods dramatically increases cannabinoid levels in the immune system | Research

The takeaway

When rats consumed cannabinoids with lipids, CBD levels in the lymphatic system were 250 times higher than in blood plasma, reaching concentrations that produced measurable immune effects in human cells.

Read this if you take oral cannabis and want to understand how eating it with fatty foods changes its absorption and immune effects.

CBD levels 250x higher in lymph than in blood when taken with lipids

What the researchers found

Researchers discovered that co-administering cannabinoids with dietary lipids dramatically increased their transport through the intestinal lymphatic system in rats. CBD concentrations in lymph fluid were 250-fold higher than in blood plasma, while THC concentrations were 100-fold higher.

These lymphatic concentrations exceeded the threshold needed to produce immunomodulatory effects when tested on human lymphocytes. CBD showed stronger immunosuppressive effects than THC across the cell types tested.

Particularly notable was the finding that immune cells from multiple sclerosis patients were more susceptible to the immunosuppressive effects of cannabinoids than cells from healthy volunteers or cancer patients. This suggests that taking cannabinoids with a high-fat meal could be therapeutically meaningful for autoimmune conditions, though the authors also caution that this lymphatic transport route requires careful consideration in immunocompromised patients.

Why it matters

Most people who take oral cannabis do so with food, often without knowing that fat content dramatically changes how cannabinoids are absorbed and distributed. This study reveals a previously underappreciated absorption pathway that could explain why edibles sometimes produce unpredictable effects and why cannabinoids might be particularly effective for certain immune conditions when taken with fatty meals.

The numbers in context

CBD lymph concentrations: 250-fold higher than plasma. THC lymph concentrations: 100-fold higher than plasma. Lymphatic cannabinoid levels exceeded immunomodulatory thresholds in human cells. MS patient lymphocytes showed greater susceptibility to cannabinoid immunosuppression than healthy or cancer patient cells.

How the study worked

This was a mixed study combining animal pharmacokinetics with human cell experiments. Rats received oral cannabinoids with lipids, and researchers measured cannabinoid concentrations in lymph fluid versus blood plasma. The immunomodulatory thresholds were then tested on human lymphocytes from MS patients, cancer patients, and healthy volunteers using the lymphatic concentrations observed in rats.

What this study cannot tell us

Pharmacokinetic data came from rats, and lymphatic transport rates may differ in humans. The immunological experiments used cells in culture, not whole-body immune responses. The specific lipid formulations used may not reflect typical dietary fat intake. Human clinical trials would be needed to confirm that this lymphatic transport pathway produces meaningful therapeutic benefits.

How to read the evidence

This combines animal pharmacokinetics with in vitro human cell experiments, providing preliminary evidence that needs human clinical validation.

When this study was published

Published in 2017. The lymphatic transport mechanism has been a growing area of cannabinoid pharmacology research since.

The bigger picture

This research reframes how we think about oral cannabinoid absorption. Rather than focusing solely on blood plasma levels, the lymphatic system may be a primary route through which oral cannabinoids reach and affect immune cells. This has implications for dosing strategies, particularly for conditions involving immune dysregulation like multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders.

Questions still open

Does the type of dietary fat consumed with cannabis affect lymphatic transport efficiency? Could this mechanism explain some of the variability in edible cannabis effects between individuals? What are the implications for immunocompromised patients who use oral cannabis?

Common questions

Should I take cannabis with fatty food?

This study found that lipids dramatically increase cannabinoid absorption through the lymphatic system. Whether this is desirable depends on the purpose. For immune-related conditions, it might enhance therapeutic effects. For general use, it means the same dose could produce stronger effects when taken with a high-fat meal.

Why were MS patients' immune cells more affected?

The study found that lymphocytes from MS patients were more susceptible to cannabinoid-mediated immunosuppression than cells from healthy volunteers or cancer patients. The researchers suggest this could make cannabinoids particularly useful for autoimmune conditions, though it also warrants caution.

Read the original research

Oral administration of cannabis with lipids leads to high levels of cannabinoids in the intestinal lymphatic system and prominent immunomodulation.

Scientific reports, 7(1), 14542

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Zgair, Atheer; Lee, Jong Bong; Wong, Jonathan C M; Taha, Dhiaa A; Aram, Jehan; Di Virgilio, Daisy; McArthur, Joshua W; Cheng, Yu-Kit; Hennig, Ivo M; Barrett, David A; Fischer, Peter M; Constantinescu, Cris S; Gershkovich, Pavel. (2017). Oral administration of cannabis with lipids leads to high levels of cannabinoids in the intestinal lymphatic system and prominent immunomodulation.. Scientific reports, 7(1), 14542. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15026-z