An extract combining marijuana leaves and turmeric reduced inflammatory activity and affected psoriasis-related biological processes in laboratory experiments, according to a new study.
The research, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, examined a standardized formulation inspired by traditional Thai topical remedies that combine the plants with cottonseed oil. Researchers from Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University and Khon Kaen University investigated its chemical composition, biological effects and delivery into skin.
The extract contained cannabidiol (CBD), several curcuminoids and ar-turmerone, a compound found in turmeric. Researchers evaluated its effects in macrophages and human keratinocytes, cells that form much of the skin’s outer layer. The keratinocytes were exposed to inflammatory signals relevant to psoriasis.
At one tested concentration, the combined extract reduced nitric oxide production by approximately 49% and prostaglandin E2 production by approximately 91%. It also altered the expression of psoriasis-associated genes.
The team separately used pig-ear skin to investigate how the formulation’s compounds accumulated in skin and passed through it. A cottonseed-oil formulation containing an additional delivery ingredient produced the highest skin deposition of the measured curcuminoids.
The authors concluded that the extract exhibited anti-inflammatory and psoriasis-relevant activity, “supporting its potential as a localized phytotherapeutic approach for psoriasis.”
The findings provide a basis for further research into a topical treatment combining marijuana and turmeric. However, the experiments involved cells and isolated skin rather than patients, so they do not establish whether the formulation reduces psoriasis symptoms or how it compares with existing treatments.
