Cannabis May Treat Skin Allergies

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Skin Allergies on August 16, 2007

Cannabis is probably most popularly known as a plant that produces psychoactive effects, or "high". In many countries, possession or use of cannabis, may it be the in the form of marijuana, hashish, or has oil, is illegal. There is a growing body of evidence, however, that cannabis also have medicinal properties, the latest of which indicates that allergic skin disease is regulated by the body's endocannabinoid system, and may thus also respond to the active components in hashish and marijuana, produced by the cannabis plant.

In order to better understand the molecular mechanism that may contribute to the increased [cutaneous (skin) contact hypersensitivity (CHS)] in cannabinoid-receptor deficient mice, the researchers performed a series of experiments which showed that mouse skin cells produce a specific chemical (a chemokine) which is involved in the annoying disease reaction. Activation of the endocannabinoid system in the skin upon exposure to a contact allergen lowers the allergic responses through modulating the production of this chemokine.

These suggest that cannabinoid compounds from the cannabis plant may be developed as a therapy against skin allergies. Should you want the details, the study has been published in the June issue of Science.