We Asked Some Scientists: Does Pot Do Anything When You Put It On Your Skin?

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Slathering yourself with marijuana cream will ease sore muscles, and soaking in a pot-infused bath will calm your period cramps—at least according to the website for Whoopi Goldberg's new company, Whoopi & Maya, which sells "high quality cannabis-infused salves, balms, and edibles designed to relieve menstrual pain."

The company is just one of dozens selling pot-centric medicinal products, everything from " elixirs" to balms to suppositories, that claim to ease anxiety, pain, inflammation, irritability, cramping, and other afflictions of the mind and body.

"A lot of people's initial response is probably, 'Hemp cream? That's bullshit,'" Adam Friedman, an associate professor of dermatology and director of translational research at George Washington University, told VICE. " I would argue there might actually be a broad range of applications and uses, which is why cannabis is such a cool area of research right now." Nonetheless, while experts say the potential is there, they also say the research lags far behind the marketing hype.

Pot's potentially expansive power stems from cannabinoids, a class of chemical compounds found in the plant that interact with the body's endocannabinoid system . Similar to our system of opioid receptors—the ones that respond to traditional painkillers—the ECS is a network of specialized receptors that play a role in everything from sensations of pain and itch to mood, inflammation regulation, and wound healing.

"Cannabinoids work through different receptors from opioids, so they may be better than opioids for treating specific types of pain or discomfort," Robert Arnold, chief of palliative care at the University of Pittsburgh, told VICE. (Arnold has published research on the possible medical uses of cannabinoids.)

The best-known and most-studied cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). But weed contains a large number of cannabinoids—up to 100 have been isolated so far, per Friedman—many of which may have pain-relieving capabilities, and most of which have received very little study.

So lots of promise, but not much certainty. Just because pot may pack hidden health benefits doesn't mean science has figured out how to wield them. There's solid research behind the fact that when it's smoked or eaten, marijuana is good at easing nausea and pain, and lowering the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy , but beyond those treatments, the research just isn't sufficient enough to say. "There just isn't any good data," Arnold said. "Cannabinoids might be helpful , and they might not. We just don't know. So they're interesting. And yet if a patient came to me, I would say I'm not sure. The risks are not clear. The side effects are not clear."

Even though THC and CBD have been widely studied, there's no clinical research on just how those two cannabinoids work when applied to the skin, or to the vaginal mucosa, various researchers told VICE. "We don't have any studies that show this amount of these cannabinoids in this combination work on these vaginal pain receptors when delivered in this kind of vehicle," Friedman said. Nor is there any data regarding applications of cannabinoids on skin. Put simply, there's just a whole lot of guesswork going on in these products.

When asked to make a recommendation about using pot-enhanced rubs, Friedman says the risk of the cannabinoids causing any kind of adverse reaction are lower with a skin cream than with something you swallow. "Your skin is an extraordinary barrier," he said, "so these would be relatively safe if you wanted to give them a try." Plus, in the case of Goldberg's products, anyway, there are other bioactive compounds—like jojoba oil—that may also provide relief. "They're sort of hedging," Friedman said. "The benefit someone experiences could come from a number of these ingredients outside of the cannabinoids."

As for the effectiveness of a soak on period pain and cramping, "the vaginal mucosa is a much thinner barrier , so I could see a soak potentially working," Friedman said. You'd also be more likely to get a buzz or feel high with the soak than with a cream or topical, he added. (The anal mucosa is about as thin as the vaginal mucosa, so men who try a bath soak might experience the same thing, according to Friedman.)

Also missing, he says, is research showing the possible side effects or adverse reactions that could result from overuse of these products (though none have been reported yet). Companies like Goldberg's dealing in personal care products don't need to have that kind of research in hand before formulating and selling things containing cannabis compounds. In the United States, the ingredients used in those types of products are typically considered safe until proven otherwise, Heather Patisaul, who runs a biology research lab at North Carolina State University, told VICE. "There is an ingredient-review board at FDA, but participation is voluntary," she said. "So, unsurprisingly, many ingredients banned from cosmetics in Europe and other places are considered 'safe' in the USA."

When asked about the science or research underlying her company's product chemistry, Maya Elisabeth of Whoopi & Maya told VICE: "We don't have scientists working for us, and I'm not a scientist. But I've worked with these products and this type of medicine for years, and I've seen miracles happen for people with all sorts of conditions." Witness one: Elise McDonough, edibles editor for High Times, has successfully eased her period discomfort with the products. "As a whole, I really enjoy the products because of the diversity of delivery options," she told VICE. "Using multiple products simultaneously throughout the day offers the most relief, since you are bombarding your body with cannabinoids through every orifice."

Miracles aside, "cannabinoids and their potential therapeutic benefits are really exciting," Friedman said. But there's still work to be done before science can get behind them. "We just don't know enough yet to say what will work, and what doesn't."

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