Can Cannabinoids Treat Skin Conditions?
The use of cannabis and cannabinoids to treat disorders of the skin is nothing new, and was first referenced in the annals of scientific literature more than a century ago. Dr Henry Granger Piffard, who founded the prestigious journal JAMA Dermatology, wrote in an early textbook that a pill of cannabis indica at bedtime has at my hands sometimes afforded relief to the intolerable itching of eczema. Since then, a number of studies have provided further evidence for the efficacy of cannabinoids at treating the skin. Related Post How CBD Can Make Your Skin Ever More Vibrant And Beautiful Cannabinoids And The Skin The fact that cannabinoid receptors are found in the skin of both mice and humans implies that they must play a significant role in the regulation of mammalian skin functions. Confirmation of this theory came when researchers noted that mice that were genetically manufactured to lack these receptors suffered from an increase in allergies and skin rashes[i]. This is important as many skin conditions  such as eczema and psoriasis  are characterised by inflammation resulting from a faulty immune response among skin cells. Fortunately, cannabinoids have been found to help re-balance the immune activity of skin cells, while also regulating barrier formation and homeostasis. Certain cannabinoids also have anti-microbial properties, with cannabidiol (CBD) being extremely effective at repelling a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which often triggers flare-ups in eczema sufferers. Interestingly, CBD also downregulates a gene called NRIP1, which tends to be overexpressed in the skin cells of people with psoriasis. As if that werent impressive enough, cannabinoids that bind to the CB1 receptor have also been shown to kill skin cancer cells in a petri dish[ii]. Treating The Skin With Cannabinoids Clinical trials are currently underway with the aim of proving the efficacy of cannabinoids