A new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that cannabinoids may offer meaningful relief for people with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a rare and painful blistering disorder.

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a cross-sectional survey of 244 patients, finding that 44% had turned to cannabinoids to manage their symptoms.

Ingestion was the most common method of use at 35%, followed by topical application at 27% and inhalation at 25%. Among respondents, 12% used CBD only, 24% THC only, 53.3% a combination of both, and 10.7% were unsure. The study found cannabinoids consistently outperformed traditional treatments, with 86.9% reporting pain improvement, 66.7% reporting reduced itch, and 80% noting greater overall wellbeing. Inhaled cannabinoids proved the most effective across categories, followed by topicals and ingested products.

For those who had not tried cannabinoids, 76.5% said they would consider them. Their main concerns were effectiveness (43%), safety and side effects (42%), and cost (40%). The findings suggest that cannabinoids could play an important role in symptom management for EB patients, though the lack of regulation and standard dosing remains a challenge.

Researchers conclude by saying “Cannabinoids are used by nearly half of all EB patients with notable improvements in pain, itch, and overall wellbeing, suggesting that cannabinoids could be a promising new therapy for EB symptom management. However, cannabinoid-based medicines are not regulated and vary widely. Further work is needed to develop standard therapies and dosing.”