[420 Spiritual Primary Caregiver]

Granny's cannabis skin ointment really did work, new study shows.

By Ernest Gill

A hundred years ago, When cannabis was Legal and openly consumed, sold and available - an over-the-counter cannabis extract ointment was sold as a household remedy for eczema and other allergic skin reactions, but was later withdrawn from the market as a quack product.

Now scientists in Germany have discovered that cannabis does in fact reduce the itching and swelling of allergic skin reactions and they have called for a reappraisal of granny's household remedy.

The research, conducted on mice, points towards new cannabis-based treatments for irritated skin.

Extracts from the hemp plant were traditionally used to treat inflammation and could be bought from pharmacists in the early 20th century.

But doubts about the efficacy of the untested product along with fears about the intoxicating effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that causes the cannabis high, led to a ban on sales in the 1930s.

The new research suggests that the herbalists who used cannabis ointments to treat eczema knew what they were doing.

Scientists now believe that cannabis skin lotion, in a safe form too diluted to affect the brain, could make a comeback.

The team from the University of Bonn in Germany stumbled on the anti-inflammatory effect of THC while conducting a brain study on mice.

The animals were genetically engineered so they could not respond to cannabinoids, either THC or its natural equivalents generated in the brain.

Unexpectedly, the skin around ear clips placed on the mice to identify them became red and sore.

The scientists realised what this meant - that cannabinoids act like a brake, preventing the immune system from running out of control and triggering inflammation.

For 20 years, scientists have known that the brain produces cannabinoids, but it has not been clear why.

They appear to have psychological effects, and influence bone growth. Another possible explanation now seems to be that they help regulate the immune system.

The German scientists confirmed their suspicions by dabbing THC ointment on the skin of mice exposed to allergens.

Professor Thomas Tuting, a member of the team, said: "If we dabbed THC solution onto the animals' skin shortly before and after applying the allergen, a lot less swelling occurred than normal.

"The THC attaches itself to the cannabinoid receptors and activates them. In this way, the active substance reduces the allergic reaction."

He said the amount of THC needed to treat skin allergies would be far too small to produce intoxicating effects.

Another treatment option was to develop drugs which prevent the breakdown of natural cannabinoids in the brain.

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2.

Cannabis May Help Alleviate Allergic Skin Disease



ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2007) — Administering a substance found in the cannabis plant can help the body's natural protective system alleviate an allergic skin disease (allergic contact dermatitis), an international group of researchers from Germany, Israel, Italy, Switzerland and the U.S. has found.

Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by reaction to something that directly contacts the skin. Many different substances (allergens) can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Usually these substances cause no trouble for most people, but if the skin is sensitive or allergic to the substance, any exposure will produce a rash, which may become very severe. Allergic contact dermatitis affects about 5 percent of men and 11percent of women in industrialized countries and is one of the leading causes for occupational diseases.

An article describing the work of the international research group, led by Dr Andreas Zimmer from the University of Bonn, was published recently in the journal Science. The article deals with alleviating allergic skin disease through what is called the endocannabinoid system. Among the members of the group is Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem School of Pharmacy.

In earlier work, Prof.Mechoulam's research group at the Hebrew University isolated two naturally occurring cannabinoid (cannabis-like) components -- one from the brain, named anandamide (from the word ananda, meaning supreme joy in Sanskrit), and another from the intestines named 2-AG. These two cannabinoids, plus their receptors and various enzymes that are involved in the cannnabinoids' syntheses and degradations, comprise the endocannabinoid system. These materials have similar effects to those of the active components in hashish and marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant.

Research by groups throughout the world has since shown that the endocannabinoid system is involved in many physiological processes, including the protective reaction of the mammalian body to a long list of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

In the article in Science, the researchers detail how the endocannabinoid system serves as a major regulator of cutaneous (skin) contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in a mouse model. In this model, they showed, for example, that mice lacking cannabinoid receptors display exacerbated inflammatory skin responses to an allergen.

Because the data indicate that enhanced activation of the endocannabinoid system may function to dampen the CHS response, the researchers administered cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a constituent derived from the cannabis plant, to the experimental animals. They findings showed that the THC significantly decreased the allergic reaction in comparison to untreated mice.

In order to better understand the molecular mechanism that may contribute to the increased 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.

The results thus clearly show a protective role for the endocannabinoid system in contact allergy in the skin and suggest that development of cannabinoid compounds based on elements produced from the cannabis plant could enhance therapeutic treatment for humans.


Marijuana :: Hashish & marijuana may help to fight inflammation & allergies

Endocannabinoids seem to play an important role in regulating inflammation processes. Scientists from the University of Bonn have discovered this in experiments on mice.

Their results will be published in the distinguished scientific journal 'Science' on Friday, 8 June. The study may also have implications for therapy. In animal experiments, a solution with an important component made from cannabis reduced allergic reactions of the skin.

Extracts of the hemp plant cannabis are traditionally used as a popular remedy against inflammation. At the beginning of the last century this natural remedy was even available at every chemist’s. But due to the intoxicating effect of the component THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the plant was taken off the chemist’s shelves in the 1930s.

THC acts on the cannabinoid receptors, of which there are two types, CB1 and CB2. Both receptors are made such that THC can attach itself to them. In the brain this causes the intoxicating effect of hashish, cannabis and marijuana. But why does the body have CB1 and CB2 anyway" For two decades it has been known that the human body also produces its own cannabinoids. Like THC they can attach themselves to the receptors. The brain scientist Professor Andreas Zimmer from the Bonn Institute of Molecular Psychiatry is investigating what the function of this endocannabinoid system is. ‘Mice without CB1 receptors show psychological abnormalities,’ he explains. ‘By contrast, CB2 regulates the growth of bones, for example.’

However, according to these most recent results, endocannabinoids also seem to play an important part in regulating inflammation processes. As is often the case with important discoveries, coincidence was involved. In scientific experiments mice are given an ear clip, so that researchers can tell them apart.‘ In most cases the mice can handle this without problems,’ Dr. Meliha Karsak, a member of Professor Zimmer’s team, explains. ‘With our mice this was different. The skin around the ear clips became inflamed.’ There are genetically modified strains of mice in which both cannabinoid receptors are dysfunctional.‘ And it was in precisely these strains that the inflammation occurred,' she explains.

Together with the Bonn dermatologists Dr. Evelyn Gaffal and Professor Thomas Tüting the researchers investigated these findings. Skin rash can be caused by allergens in laboratory mice. 'However, normally these rashes are only minor,' Dr. Gaffal emphasises. 'However, strains of mice in which the cannabinoid receptors are missing react much more intensely. We observed something similar when we blocked the receptors with medication.'

When inflammation occurs the endocannabinoids act like someone stepping on the brakes. They prevent the body from doing too much of a good thing and the immune reaction from getting out of control. This is consistent with the fact that at the beginning of the infection the endocannabinoid concentration increased in the mice. 'Apart from that there are strains of mice in which the breakdown of these active substances produced by the body is malfunction-ing,' Evelyn Gaffal says. 'They have an increased endocannabinoid concen-tration in their skin. In our experiments these animals also showed a less marked allergic reaction.'

The results open up new options for the treatment of skin allergies and inflammation. Firstly, drugs which prevent the breakdown of endocannabin-oids look promising. But the old household remedy cannabis could also make a comeback as an ointment. In the experiment on mice this approach has already been successful. 'If we dabbed THC solution on to the animals' skin shortly before and after applying the allergen, a lot less swelling occurred than normal,' Professor Thomas Tüting explains. 'THC attaches itself to cannabin-oid receptors and activates them. In this way the active substance reduces the allergic reaction.' Incidentally, ointment like this would probably not have an intoxicating effect, for this the amount of THC contained would be much too small.

[KushMeister]

That was a long post, and I didn't really thoroughly read it all, but I can comment:

I have used for month's now, and have posted several times, about the relief provided by Mom's Medibles Canna Balm.

I apply it to my right shin area, where I have a dermatitus condition, that when flared up, causes unbelieveable itching, to the point that I scratch bloody trenches into my leg!

Once Mom's Canna Balm is applied, it's instant relief for a few hours, or until my next flare up.

This product has been a life saver for me! A friend of mine, had surgery a few weeks back, and was itching terribly in her scar area. She applied canna balm to the affected area, and bingo! same results!

I highly reccommend this product as an alternative to the Pharmy salves and such, as I have enjoyed far better results with the Canna Balm (although the Canna Balm is a bit stinkier).

I also recently read a paper, claiming that cannabis extracts are being experimented with, as a cure for Flesh Eating Diseases.

This is a miracle plant, and God willing, one day, the people will rise up, and tell the Feds, "We're tired, and we're not gonna take this shit anymore!"

Very interesting posts. I suffer from Psoriasis, and when I have flare ups I usually use Gold Bonds or something similar. I will now try this product. I am happy to hear that this may actually give my body some relief. I will report back on my findings upon purchasing some. Any one know where to find it? I am in the L.A. area. Thanks.

Best,
pic4daze

[derwench]

This is very informative... I currently use mmj to treat my skin allergies. I currently scratch my arms and legs until they bleed :( at night no matter how mosturized they are... Thanks for this post!
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[Eazy]

"But doubts about the efficacy of the untested product along with fears about the intoxicating effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that causes the cannabis high, led to a ban on sales in the 1930s."

Propaganda.

Hemp was prohibited because corporations like DuPont discovered; you can't patent a plant, which means everybody can grow hemp and DuPont could not profit from hemp because they could not steal control of the plant from the people through patents. The government, scientists, and corporate money mongers knew full and well about all of the benefits of hemp to society but they corruptly prohibited hemp in America via bribes, violence , and false information propaganda campaigns to frighten and trick the general public into thinking that hemp was evil -- to oppress us via corporate tyranny -- America as we know it today.

Fascinating article! Thanks!