Medical cannabis for psoriasis is a legal treatment option in the UK and has been since November 2018. It won't be suitable for every single person dealing with psoriasis, but for some adult patients, it may be considered when symptoms include pain, itching that disturbs sleep, psoriatic arthritis pain, and other secondary symptoms that remain difficult to handle through conventional treatment means.
It is not a first-line treatment option and will not cure psoriasis or clear plaques, but may help control the overall symptom toll.
One of the specialists who make up Releaf’s world-class clinical team will first assess your current symptoms and treatment options, your full medical history, and your wider health needs before any decision is made regarding your potential eligibility for medical cannabis treatment in the UK.
2%
of people in the UK are estimated to develop psoriasis at some point during their life.
60%
of people with psoriasis report issues with falling and staying asleep.
1 in 4
psoriasis patients may develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling.
336,884
UK adults with psoriasis were 17% more likely to develop anxiety and 21% more likely to develop depression than those without psoriasis in a nationwide primary-care cohort study.
Symptoms
Delicate skin
Dry patches of skin
Hair loss
Itching
Scales on skin
Soreness
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms. Please speak with your GP to find out more.
Treatment options:
Topical creams and ointments usually the first option tried when treating psoriasis. If this doesn’t alleviate symptoms, patients are typically referred to a dermatologist for phototherapy, where the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light, or systemic treatments involving injected medicines may be considered.
Calcineurin inhibitors
Coal Tar
Dithranol
Emollients
Steroid creams/ointments
Vitamin D
Whether you’re new to cannabis-based medicines, switching from another medical cannabis clinic, or self-medicating, we’ll put you back in control of your health.
Condition Peripheral Neuropathy
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Restless Legs Syndrome
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Insomnia
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition CRPS
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Adjunctive Cancer Care
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Insomnia & Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Endometriosis
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Low Back Pain
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Arthritis
Subscriber 2 years
Condition ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Endometriosis
Subscriber 2 years
Condition PTSD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Fibromyalgia
Subscriber 2 years
“Many conditions that lead to chronic pain often respond poorly to conventional pharmaceutical medications. More and more is being understood about how the endocannabinoid system interacts with the more well-known pain pathways to work synergistically with these conventional medications. Chronic pain comes with a variety of associated symptoms such as poor sleep, fatigue, brain fog and reduced appetite – all of which treatment with medical cannabis can improve.“
Dr Sue Clenton
Medical Director
05. 08. 2023
People living with psoriasis often use a combination of topical and oral treatments, as well as phototherapy, to ease symptoms and cope with the condition. Recent research has shown CBD oil may have a positive impact on psoriasis symptoms. From easing stress to reducing inflammation, CBD products can potentially help to improve the lives of people living with the condition.
05. 08. 2023
09. 08. 2023
Hemp cream is an increasingly popular treatment option for people living with psoriasis. Unlike many psoriasis creams, hemp products don’t contain steroids. Instead, they’re derived from natural sources and work with the body’s systems to help manage the symptoms of the disease.
09. 08. 2023
05. 08. 2023
Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that’s linked to the body’s immune system. It can emerge at any point in a person’s life but is most likely to develop between the ages of 15 and 25. People living with psoriasis experience increased skin cell production. This results in inflamed patches of skin appearing on the body. These patches are often covered with dry ‘scales’ and can cause irritation and pain to the sufferer.
05. 08. 2023
Yes, in the UK medical cannabis may be prescribed for psoriasis, but that prescription must be issued by a specialist listed on the GMC Specialist Register. It is not considered a first-line treatment option for psoriasis and will not cure psoriasis or treat the underlying causes, but can be considered for eligible patients when conventional approaches have not provided sufficient symptom relief.
Medical cannabis is not prescribed to replace conventional treatment options, but to sit alongside them. Keeping your GP and dermatology/rheumatology care team informed helps to make sure that every part of your treatment works together.
Over-the-counter CBD oils, creams, shampoos, and other non-prescribed CBD options are consumer wellness products, not prescribed medicines for psoriasis. They should not be seen as a substitute for specialist assessment or an agreed-upon treatment plan from your dermatologist.
Prescribed medical cannabis is different.
It is supplied through a regulated pharmacy after a specialist has reviewed your full medical history, current treatment options, and overall health needs and goals.
Your UK medical cannabis treatment is clinically overseen with regular follow-up consultations, allowing your specialist to have the ability to monitor your response and make changes where needed or appropriate.
|
Prescribed medical cannabis |
Over-the-counter CBD oils and creams |
|
|
What it is |
A cannabis-based medicine prescribed by a specialist doctor and dispensed by a regulated pharmacy. |
Consumer products, including CBD oils, creams and shampoos. |
|
Clinical oversight |
Your medical history, symptoms and current medicines are assessed before prescribing, with follow-up support where needed. |
No specialist assessment or prescription follow-up is included. |
|
What it may contain |
Formulations may contain THC, CBD, or both, depending on the individual prescription. |
Usually marketed as CBD products and should not be presented as a replacement for prescribed treatment. |
|
Psoriasis care |
May be considered as part of a wider plan for eligible patients with ongoing symptoms. |
Releaf offers CBD creams as consumer products, but they are not prescribed medical cannabis treatments for psoriasis. |
Learn more at Can cannabis cream offer relief from psoriasis?
For eligible patients, the question is not only how visible psoriasis may be, but also how its symptoms can affect their day-to-day lives.
Your prescribing specialist will consider whether medical cannabis could help manage your particular symptoms, rather than just the underlying inflammatory processes. Medical cannabis won't help control every single psoriasis symptom, but it may help with the following:
Itching and skin discomfort
Day-to-day functioning
THC and CBD are the two most well-known cannabinoids produced by cannabis plants, and for good reason. While they are just two of over 110 cannabinoids that have been isolated from Cannabis sativa L. species (which includes both cannabis and hemp plants), they are produced in greater abundance than any of the minor cannabinoids.
Both have the ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system, but do so in quite different ways. The endocannabinoid system helps regulate a wide range of bodily functions, including pain signalling, sleep, mood, and immune/inflammatory activity, among many others.
Both cannabinoids also have an impact on separate receptor systems, so the picture is far more complex than their endocannabinoid system interactions alone.
|
THC |
CBD |
|
|
How it acts |
Activates cannabinoid receptors, particularly CB1 receptors in the brain and nervous system, and CB2 receptors involved in immune signalling. It also affects pain, dopamine and GABA signalling. |
Has a less direct effect on cannabinoid receptors. It can influence serotonin, adenosine and TRPV receptors, which are involved in mood, inflammation and pain signalling. |
|
What this may mean for psoriasis-related symptoms |
May be relevant to pain, sleep disruption and the wider stress of living with a chronic condition. |
May be relevant to discomfort, itch and inflammatory signalling, but research does not show that CBD treats psoriasis itself. |
|
Intoxicating effects |
Can cause intoxication at higher doses. Your specialist will work with you to find a dose size that offers therapeutic benefits without intoxication. |
Does not produce the intoxicating effects associated with THC. |
|
How a specialist approaches it |
May be included in a prescription where the potential symptom-management benefits are judged to outweigh the possible drawbacks. |
May be prescribed alongside THC or on its own, depending on your symptoms, treatment history and overall health. |
Psoriasis of the scalp is one of the more common forms the condition takes, and it can be extremely difficult to live with. The persistent itching, soreness, thick scale, and flaking can be quite difficult to disguise, while scratching can make the scalp feel very irritated.
Standard treatment for psoriasis of the scalp mostly focuses on the scalp itself with medicated shampoos, topical treatments, and support from both your GP and dermatologist where needed.
Medical cannabis will not be prescribed to clear scalp plaques, reduce scale, or treat hair loss, but it may help to soothe any itching, improve sleep, and reduce chronic soreness. That type of almost never-ending itch and soreness can also cause sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression if left untreated.
An estimated 25% of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. This is an inflammatory condition that can cause joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue. It is very different from general skin psoriasis, and needs assessment by a GP or rheumatologist, particularly if you have persistent joint symptoms, swollen fingers or toes, or stiffness that is worse in the morning.
Research into medical cannabis specifically for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is still in the early stages, but is beginning to give a clearer picture of where it may have a role in symptom management. Early real-world data show patients report improvements in pain, sleep, and day-to-day quality of life, while controlled CBD studies have produced more mixed results.
|
Study |
What the research found |
Important context |
|
28 adults with chronic plaque psoriasis received oral CBD oil or placebo for 12 weeks. CBD did not produce a significant change in psoriasis severity, although itch improved at Week 8 and time taken to fall asleep reduced at Week 6. |
Both improvements were temporary and not sustained by Week 12. This was a small trial of CBD oil, not prescribed THC-containing medical cannabis. |
|
|
Synthetic CBD trial in psoriatic arthritis and hand osteoarthritis |
129 participants received synthetic CBD or placebo for 12 weeks. CBD did not improve pain, sleep, anxiety or depression scores more than placebo. |
This was a stronger randomised trial, but included people with hand osteoarthritis as well as psoriatic arthritis. |
|
82 people with inflammatory arthritis, including psoriatic arthritis, reported statistically significant improvements in pain, sleep and quality-of-life measures over 12 months after beginning prescribed cannabis-based medicines. |
This was an observational case series, so it can identify an association but cannot prove that prescribed cannabis caused the changes. |
|
|
10 of 12 respondents who mentioned psoriasis rated their prescribed medical cannabis treatment as moderately, very, or extremely effective. 11 of 12 reported some improvement in quality of life, while 10 of 12 reported improvement in everyday tasks and 9 of 12 in work or study. |
This is a small, self-selected group. It is useful patient feedback, but not clinical evidence and should not be used to predict another person’s outcome. |
Like all prescribed medications, medical cannabis can cause certain side effects and interact with other prescribed medicines. All of this will be taken into account by your prescribing specialist before any recommendation for your treatment is made.
If you are interested in learning more about medical cannabis for your psoriasis symptoms, check out how it works and then head to our fast, obligation-free medical cannabis eligibility checker. It takes less than 30 seconds to complete, and will help you understand whether a specialist assessment for your symptoms may be worthwhile for your health needs.
If you are found to be potentially eligible, you will be prompted to create a Releaf account, upload your medical history documents, and book your initial consultation. If you are subsequently found to be ineligible for treatment with Releaf, your initial consultation payment will be refunded subject to the terms and conditions of our money-back guarantee.
Releaf - Redefining healthcare.
