Dr. Chad Johnson received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, focusing on medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. He is a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Co-Director of the Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy--involved in all basic science courses within the program. His research focuses on designing novel, fast-acting antidepressants and opioid analgesics with reduced reinforcement.

He's with us today to discuss the challenges of cannabis formulation that impact the use of medicinal cannabinoids. Traditional Western medicine prefers the oral root of administration. And oral preps, unfortunately, present significant challenges, when it comes to the cannabinoids because of their chemical structures and the fact that they, at least in the oral preps, are in an aqueous environment.

Today Dr. Johnson is going to help us understand those challenges, and review the pharmacokinetics and a few of the pharmacodynamics of the various cannabinoid formulations.