Handbook of cannabis

Skin is the largest organ in the body, and is constantly exposed to physical, chemical, bacterial, and fungal challenges. Growing evidence has been recently accumulated to suggest a role for plant-derived phytocannabinoids in the control of several aspects of skin pathophysiology. This chapter summarizes our current knowledge of the manifold effects of phytocannabinoids in skin, in order to put in a better perspective their potential as next-generation therapeutics against disorders of this organ, including cutaneous malignancies, acne, scleroderma, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, and skin inflammation. In addition, the physiological relevance of endogenous cannabinoids as regulators of key processes in skin biology, such as proliferation, differentiation, and cytokine production of various cutaneous cell types, is addressed. Taken together, phytocannabinoids may represent an attractive option for therapeutic intervention against skin diseases, also because of the impact of their endogenous counterpart (the endocannabinoids) in the pathophysiology of this organ.