Up until recently, cannabis was considered to be only a recreational drug. It also used to be a widespread belief that cannabis was risky, and even nowadays we can find the occasional post on social media warning us about many disproved myths.
In the last few years, scientists in the cannabis industry have made major discoveries. Among the most significant findings, studies have revealed that cannabis can improve our mood, relieve physical as well as mental pain, and maybe even aid in the treatment of many health conditions, including epilepsy and sclerosis.
However, the cannabis industry has also witnessed its shifting towards many medical areas. Among these is the treatment of skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. Since it has been repeatedly shown that it can help patients alleviate these conditions, could cannabis become an effective way to treat psoriasis?
What Is Psoriasis And How Is It Regularly Treated?
In recent times, studies have found out that cannabis could become an effective remedy against psoriasis, just as it is with many other skin conditions. Psoriasis is a chronic and incurable disease that ails many patients across the United States and the world. This skin condition is also autoimmune, which makes its treatment far more complex than other more regular conditions. Psoriasis impacts our health by forcing cells to build upon the skin, in a nasty and uncomfortable process. Among the most common symptoms brought about by psoriasis, are itchy and painful scales across the dermis. Red patches occasionally show up in the skin of people afflicted with this condition as well.
Unlike other skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis appears intermittently after it’s been diagnosed. It comes and goes. As a result, the most common form of treatment for this skin condition is to prevent the accelerated growth of the skin cells. As we stated above, psoriasis doesn’t yet have a cure. However, the medical industry has developed several forms of treatment that have proven effective and durable. Doctors treat psoriasis by managing and balancing its symptoms with utmost care. By clearing the skin and reducing inflammation with the help of topical ointments, it is possible to control the most distressing effects of psoriasis. Doctors often prescribe other medications, as well as light therapy, to patients who suffer from this condition.
How Could Cannabis Be Used to Treat Psoriasis?
Doctors and professionals from the cannabis industry tend to evaluate and research how effective could the plant be in the treatment of psoriasis. Dermatologists continue to show interest in the properties of cannabinoids. In recent years, studies in this area have been devoted to discovering whether cannabis could work as an effective remedy to treat the many symptoms produced by psoriasis. Although doctors agree that there isn’t enough research available to clarify this issue, what they have seen thus far shows promise.
What Is the Evidence Revealed by Studies on This Subject?
During the last decade, many studies have been run on the effects cannabinoids have in the treatment of skin conditions. One of these took place in 2013 when researchers found out that cannabis could decelerate the growth of keratinocyte skin cells. Psoriasis is often linked to the excessive buildup of keratinocytes across the skin, which implies that cannabis might have the potential capabilities it needs to alleviate psoriasis.
Skin is the largest organ in the human body. Its cells are also filled with cannabinoid receptors. When applied with a topical formula containing certain cannabinoids, such as CBD or THC, this may trigger the receptors, thus regulating the amount of keratin across our skin. Achieving this is crucial to hold back the negative effects of psoriasis. It could also help alleviate the scaliness and itchiness found on our skin.
A major study conducted in 2009 helped researchers discover what could become a breakthrough in psoriasis-related research. Cannabinoids could potentially help regulate the immune system by decreasing inflammation on the skin. This would be a very important accomplishment in the search for a cure for psoriasis. In 2016, a more recent study revealed that certain cannabinoids could aid people suffering from psoriasis in an entirely new way. The components could interfere in the chemistry between the body’s immune and nervous systems. This could be the most transcendental breakthrough yet since the chemical relation between these systems in the human organism is the most important mechanism affecting the skin condition.
What Does the Future Hold for Cannabis Treatment of Psoriasis?
Doctors believe that more conclusive evidence regarding how cannabis could help treat psoriasis will eventually be found out. The number of studies running every year has increased exponentially. On top of that, most studies on the effects of cannabis in the treatment of skin conditions like psoriasis have been performed overseas. Cannabis has been illegal in almost all states of the US. However, as more research is conducted by medical teams, and more beneficial properties are discovered within the plant, there will be a stronger pressure for its further legalization. Doctors and dermatologists nationwide are convinced that this is only a matter of time.
The research that might reveal truly groundbreaking evidence will be very important for doctors who wish to prescribe cannabis-infused products to patients affected by psoriasis. Some dermatologists already have chosen this path. In states where cannabis is legal, doctors often prescribe topical oils and lotions with sufficient cannabis concentration for those suffering from psoriasis. As patients continue to treat their illnesses with these products, they attest to the effectiveness of cannabis more and more. However, doctors agree that the dosage of the plant that is used in the treatment should vary depending on the person who uses it.
Doctors consider that medical education needs to expand to subjects such as cannabis in order to be truly informative and forthcoming. Every year, new medical products for the treatment of psoriasis are released in the cannabis market, with clinical studies supporting them. In the medical community, there are many who believe that those who suffer from psoriasis are probably going to see a great abundance of cannabis-infused treatments in the coming years. As it becomes legal, cannabis is likely to appeal to pharmaceutical companies, which might, in turn, support a greater number of studies.
