Treating Psoriasis With Cannabis Topicals
By Rachelle Gordon ‘Cannabis Now’ 4.12.2018
https://cannabisnow.com/treating-psoriasis-with-cannabis-topicals/
“[The psoriasis] made such a big impact on
our lives and was keeping him from doing
so many daily activities that he used to do,”
Hallbeck says, explaining that the psoriasis
on her husband’s hands caused him such
embarrassment that he wore gloves to
work and such pain that he couldn’t bathe
their 1-year-old son.
Psoriasis isn’t just a rash that the Kardashians
have struggled with on national television.
The autoimmune disorder, which affects
roughly 7.5 million Americans, can be
debilitating.
For people with psoriasis, the body
overproduces skin cells that develop into
painful, itchy and often embarrassing rashes.
In addition, swelling from inflamed skin can
lead to joint damage.
But like many other autoimmune disorders,
such as arthritis and type 1 diabetes, both
researchers and afflicted individuals are
starting to examine whether or not cannabis
can help.
Melissa Hallbeck has a special place in her
heart for those living with psoriasis. The 41-
year-old from Chicago, Illinois spent seven
years working with the American Academy of
Dermatology,
where
she
frequently
collaborated with the National Psoriasis
Foundation, but it wasn’t until her husband
was diagnosed with psoriasis that things truly
hit home.
Despite Hallbeck’s access to some of the
best dermatologists in the country, none of
the conventional treatments available —
including expensive pharmaceuticals and
topical medication — seemed to work.
“Finally, I said I’d had it,” says Hallbeck.
“So I said, ‘That’s it. We’re trying this
whether you like it or not.’”
Then, she gave her husband cannabis oil
and after a week of putting the cannabis oil
on the affected skin, her husband’s skin was
almost
completely
clear.
“It
was
unbelievable,” Hallbeck says.
Dr. Bodo Schneider of Pied Pfeifer
Compassionate Care Clinic in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, often touts the powers of cannabis
topicals in treating psoriasis. Schneider used
to practice medicine in Illinois, where he met
Hallbeck, who told him about her oil recipe.
“Cannabis, through the cannabinoid CBD, has
the properties of being both an anti-
inflammatory and an autoimmune inhibitor,”
he explains. “Anecdotally, we have found that
it is very effective at treating both chronic and
acute cases of psoriatic rashes.”
In addition to helping regulate the immune
system, a 2013 study published in the online
peer-reviewed journal ‘Peer’ found that the
endocannabinoid system may be responsible
for the body’s regulation and creation of
keratinocytes, a type of skin cell.