Medical Marijuana for Psoriasis: What Research Shows
Medical marijuana for psoriasis has no single yes-or-no answer, because the form changes it. Cannabinoid creams have been tested on skin cells, in mice and in a handful of people; products that are swallowed or held under the tongue are barely studied for psoriasis; and smoke is a known psoriasis trigger. Nothing here replaces what your dermatologist prescribes; at most, cannabis is something to discuss alongside it.
What this article stands on: published research on cannabinoids and psoriasis, mostly lab work on skin cells and studies in mice, with only a few studies in people, plus the guidance of dermatology societies and federal health agencies.
The short answer, form by form
On the skin: creams, ointments, patches
CBD creams calmed psoriasis-like skin in mice and skin-cell studies [1][2]. A trial of a CBD patch in people has been planned, with no results yet [3].
Studied in labs, mice and a few people
Swallowed or under the tongue: edibles, capsules, tinctures
Psoriasis research has hardly tested these forms. Whatever is swallowed passes through the liver first, the organ methotrexate already strains [4].
Smoke and vapor: joints, pipes, vapes
Smoking is a recognized trigger of psoriasis [5] [6], and hot smoke or vapor irritates the airways. That is a risk of the form, not of cannabinoids themselves.
Smoking is a known psoriasis trigger
Life with psoriasis: itch, pain and flares that come back
Psoriasis is often described as “just a skin condition.” People who live with it rarely describe it that way. The itch can be fierce enough to wake you at night, plaques on the hands and feet crack and bleed, and patches in skin folds feel raw rather than scaly. Many people also learn, sooner or later, that their stiff fingers or aching heels are part of the same disease.
Then there is the cycle. A cream works for a while, the skin calms down, and a few weeks later a stressful month or a winter cold brings the plaques back. Each flare means another prescription, another routine of ointments that stain the sheets, another visit. It is tiring in a way that is hard to explain to someone who has never had it.
And it shows. Plaques on the elbows, scalp, face or hands invite looks and questions. Some people stop wearing short sleeves, skip the pool or brush flakes off a dark jacket before every meeting. Feeling self-conscious, anxious or low is common with psoriasis, and it is part of the illness, not a weakness [5].
This is the backdrop against which many people start asking about cannabis. A conversation with a physician about it will not make psoriasis go away. What it can do is put every option on the table (including the ones you have not tried yet) and check honestly whether cannabis fits your medicines, your skin and your state’s rules.
What bothers you most right now?
Pick one to see where this page covers it.
Itch: most people with psoriasis itch, and scratching thickens the patches and can start new ones. Read whether psoriasis itches, hurts or spreads, and what lab studies found about itch.
Cracked, burning skin: painful cracks are common on the palms and soles, and raw skin in folds burns. Anything applied to broken skin can sting or cause a reaction. See what each form of cannabis does and does not avoid.
Joint pain: swollen fingers, stiff mornings or sore heels may be psoriatic arthritis, which needs its own care. Read psoriatic arthritis, chronic pain, sleep and anxiety.
Sleep: night-time itch and joint pain both break sleep, and poor sleep makes flares harder to bear. Read how psoriasis affects sleep and mood.
How it looks: visible plaques are one of the hardest parts of psoriasis, and they are a fair reason to ask for stronger treatment. Read how psoriasis is usually treated.
Flares that return: psoriasis comes and goes, and triggers such as stress, infections and smoking often start the next round. Read what causes psoriasis and what sets off a flare.
What is psoriasis, and why does it happen?
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease. The immune system becomes overactive and sends signals that make skin cells multiply far faster than usual. Instead of shedding unnoticed, the extra cells pile up on the surface as thick, inflamed patches covered with scale, most often on the scalp, elbows and knees [5]. Anyone can get it; it is more common in adults than in children and affects men and women equally [5].
It is also common. A 2023 review of the research puts it at about 4% of the population [7] – in any office, school or apartment block, someone else is likely living with it too.
Why one person gets psoriasis and another does not comes down to a mix of genes and environment. It often runs in families, but a gene alone is not enough: something usually sets the immune system off, and the same kinds of things tend to bring on later flares [5] [6]. Common triggers include:
- Stress, the trigger people mention most often
- Infections, especially strep throat [5]
- Injury to the skin: a cut, a scrape, a bad sunburn, even a tattoo [6] [8]
- Smoking and other tobacco use [5] [6]
- Heavy drinking [6]
- Some medicines, including lithium, prednisone and hydroxychloroquine [6]
- Cold, dry weather [6]
- Excess weight [5]
The name comes from the Greek psora, meaning “itch.”
Quick answers
Is psoriasis a fungal infection?
No. Psoriasis is caused by the immune system, not by a fungus, bacteria or a virus. A fungal rash can look similar, which is why a doctor sometimes scrapes a little scale to check. Antifungal creams do not treat psoriasis. See what psoriasis gets mistaken for.
Is psoriasis contagious?
No. You cannot catch psoriasis from another person, and you cannot give it to anyone, not by touch, sharing towels or swimming in the same pool [9].
Is psoriasis a chronic illness?
Yes. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition that tends to come and go: it can flare for weeks or months and then quiet down or go into remission [5]. Treatment controls it; it does not cure it.
Is psoriasis a disability?
It can be, when it is severe or comes with psoriatic arthritis that limits work and daily life. Whether it counts is decided case by case under the program you apply to. More in the FAQ below.
Types of psoriasis and where it shows up
Doctors recognize several types, and one person can have more than one at a time [5]. The type matters: it shapes which treatment works, and two types can be medical emergencies.
Which one have you been told you have?
Choose a type to read just that one.
Plaque psoriasis
How it looks: raised, thick patches covered with silvery-white scale [5]. On lighter skin they look red or pink; on darker skin they are often purple, gray or dark brown, which makes them easier to miss.
Where: elbows, knees, scalp and lower back most often, but plaques can appear anywhere: the arms, legs, hands, around the eyes and eyebrows, around the mouth and nose [10].
Who: the most common type by far [5]. “Psoriasis vulgaris,” a term you may see in research, is another name for it.
Guttate psoriasis
How it looks: many small, scaly, drop-shaped spots that appear suddenly [5] [10].
Where: the trunk, arms and legs, sometimes the face, scalp and ears [10].
Who: often children and young adults, frequently a few weeks after strep throat. It may clear within weeks or months, but in some people it turns into plaque psoriasis [5] [10].
Inverse psoriasis
How it looks: smooth, red, raw-looking patches with little or no scale; the skin is often sore [10].
Where: where skin touches skin: the armpits, groin and genitals, under the breasts, the crease of the buttocks [10].
Who: often people who also have plaques elsewhere. Sweat and friction make it worse, and it is easily mistaken for a fungal rash.
Pustular psoriasis Needs care today if widespread
How it looks: pus-filled bumps on red, very painful skin. The pus is not an infection [5] [10].
Where: usually only the palms and soles. A generalized form spreads over the body with fever and feeling very ill; it is serious and life-threatening [10].
Who: uncommon. Widespread pustules, fever or chills mean a doctor today. See when to get care first, not a card.
Erythrodermic psoriasis Needs care today
How it looks: redness over most of the body that can look like a severe burn, often with peeling, chills, fever and dehydration [10].
Where: almost the whole skin surface [5].
Who: rare, and life-threatening; it needs emergency care [10]. See when to get care first, not a card.
Nail psoriasis
How it looks: tiny dents (pits), discoloration under the nail, crumbling or rough nails, or a nail lifting away from its bed [10].
Where: fingernails and toenails.
Who: common in people with plaque psoriasis, and worth mentioning to your doctor: nail changes often go along with psoriatic arthritis.
Scalp psoriasis
How it looks: thick scale and plaques that can look like severe dandruff, often itchy [10].
Where: the scalp, the hairline, the forehead, behind and inside the ears and the back of the neck.
Who: very common with plaque psoriasis. Hair loss sometimes follows; it tends to grow back once the scalp clears [11].
All types as a table
| Type | Where | How it looks | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaque | Elbows, knees, scalp, lower back, anywhere | Raised, thick, scaly patches | The most common type |
| Guttate | Trunk, arms, legs | Many small drop-shaped spots | Often follows strep throat; can clear on its own |
| Inverse | Armpits, groin, under the breasts, buttock crease | Smooth, red, raw-looking | Little scale; mistaken for fungal rash |
| Pustular | Palms and soles; rarely the whole body | Pus-filled bumps on red skin | The widespread form is an emergency |
| Erythrodermic | Most of the body | Burn-like redness, peeling | Rare; needs emergency care |
| Nail | Fingernails and toenails | Pits, discoloration, crumbling, lifting | Often goes with psoriatic arthritis |
| Scalp | Scalp, hairline, ears, neck | Thick scale, like heavy dandruff | Can bring temporary hair loss |
Psoriasis can also reach the joints. If your fingers swell, your mornings start stiff or your heels hurt, read about psoriatic arthritis.
Psoriasis symptoms: does it itch, hurt, spread or go away?
These are the questions people ask most once they have a diagnosis. Short answers first, then what lies behind them.
Does psoriasis itch?
Usually, yes. Plaques tend to itch, and for many people itch is the worst symptom of all, worse than how the skin looks [10]. Stress can make it worse, and it often peaks at night [9].
Does psoriasis hurt?
It can. Plaques on the palms and soles crack and bleed, inverse psoriasis in skin folds feels sore and raw, and pustular psoriasis can make the skin extremely painful [10]. Pain in the joints is a separate question and may point to psoriatic arthritis.
Does psoriasis smell or weep?
Psoriasis itself does not usually smell or weep. A bad smell, oozing or yellow crusts can mean an infection on top of broken skin (especially in skin folds, where sweat and friction add up), and that is worth showing to a doctor soon. Pustules in pustular psoriasis are not infected, but they need a doctor’s eye too.
How long does a psoriasis flare last?
Flares usually last weeks to months, then settle down or go into remission [5]. With treatment, plaques often start to calm within weeks; how long they take to clear depends on the type, the area and the treatment. Guttate psoriasis may clear on its own within weeks or months [10].
Does psoriasis go away?
The plaques can go away, sometimes for a long time. The disease itself does not: psoriasis is chronic, and a quiet period is remission, not a cure [5]. That is why claims to “cure psoriasis permanently,” including claims about cannabis, should make you wary.
Does psoriasis spread, and does scratching spread it?
It does not spread to other people. On your own body, new patches can appear in new places during a flare. Scratching makes plaques thicker [10], and injured skin (a scratch, a cut, a sunburn) can grow a new plaque in the shape of the injury [8].
Can psoriasis cause hair loss?
Scalp psoriasis sometimes leads to hair loss, from the plaques, heavy scratching or picking off scale. Hair tends to grow back once the scalp psoriasis clears, though it takes time [11].
Does psoriasis make you tired?
Many people say so. Itch and pain that break sleep, the inflammation itself and the mental load of a visible illness all add up. Persistent exhaustion is worth raising with a doctor, since anemia, thyroid problems or depression can also be behind it.
Can psoriasis be serious?
Most psoriasis is not dangerous in itself, but it is more than skin. People with psoriasis have a higher risk of psoriatic arthritis, heart attacks and strokes, anxiety and depression, and they may be more likely to have Crohn’s disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, liver and kidney disease and certain other conditions [5]. Erythrodermic and widespread pustular psoriasis can be life-threatening [10]. Treating psoriasis well, and checking blood pressure, weight and blood sugar along the way, is part of protecting your health overall.
Psoriatic arthritis, chronic pain, sleep and anxiety
Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic arthritis that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and in the places where tendons and ligaments attach to bone [5]. It usually appears years after the skin disease, though sometimes it comes first. Left untreated, it can damage joints for good [5], which is why new joint pain deserves a doctor’s visit rather than a wait-and-see approach.
In the skin
What hurts: itch, cracks, burning, raw skin in folds.
What you see: plaques, scale, nail changes.
Who treats it: a dermatologist or primary care doctor.
In the joints
What hurts: swollen fingers or toes, stiff mornings, sore heels or lower back.
What you see: a whole finger or toe swollen “like a sausage,” pitted nails.
Who treats it: a rheumatologist, often together with the dermatologist.
The skin and the joints are driven by the same immune activity, and some people notice that joint pain gets worse when their skin flares, though the two do not always move together. Some treatments, such as methotrexate and many biologics, work on both [13]. More on cannabis research in joint conditions is on our page about arthritis and medical cannabis.
Pain that does not let go
Long-lasting pain from psoriatic arthritis, or from cracked and inflamed skin, is a condition in its own right. Chronic pain is the most widely listed qualifying condition across state medical cannabis programs, and in many states it is the route through which people with psoriasis reach a card. See chronic pain and medical cannabis.
Nights broken by itch
Itch and pain make it harder both to fall asleep and to stay asleep [9]. A poor night lowers the itch threshold the next day, and the cycle repeats. If sleep has become its own problem, read insomnia and medical cannabis.
Anxiety and low mood
Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are more common in people with psoriasis [5], and stress in turn triggers flares [6]. Naming this to your doctor is part of treating psoriasis, not a separate subject. Read anxiety and medical cannabis – including why THC can make anxiety worse for some people.
How psoriasis is diagnosed, and what it gets mistaken for
There is no blood test for psoriasis. A doctor diagnoses it by looking at your skin, scalp and nails and asking about your symptoms, your health and your family. When the picture is unclear, the doctor may take a small skin sample, a biopsy, to look at under a microscope and rule out conditions that look alike [14]. Blood tests do come into play later, before and during treatment with pills and biologics.
Is psoriasis a rash? In everyday language, yes: it is an inflamed, scaly change in the skin. But “rash” covers dozens of conditions, and several of them are easy to confuse with psoriasis, especially on darker skin, in skin folds and on the scalp. Getting the name right matters because the treatments differ, and because a medical card goes by the diagnosis in your records, not by what the skin looks like.
Compare psoriasis with
Pick the condition you are wondering about. Only a clinician can tell them apart for certain.
Psoriasis
Elbows, knees, scalp, lower back; skin folds in inverse psoriasis
Sharply edged, thick plaques with silvery scale; pitted nails
Common, sometimes with burning
Overactive immune system, genes and triggers
No
Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
Inside the elbows, behind the knees, hands, neck and face
Dry, rough patches with blurred edges; can ooze and crust
Usually intense, often the main symptom
A weak skin barrier with an allergic tendency; often starts in childhood
No
Psoriasis
Scalp and hairline, often spreading past it; elbows, knees, lower back
Thick, dry, silvery scale on well-defined plaques
Common, sometimes with burning
Overactive immune system, genes and triggers
No
Seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)
Scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose, behind the ears, mid-chest
Thinner, greasy, yellowish flakes on pink or lighter patches
Mild to moderate
An inflammatory reaction in oily areas, linked to a yeast that normally lives on skin
No
Psoriasis
Often on both sides of the body; folds in inverse psoriasis; nails
Evenly scaly plaques; smooth red patches in folds
Common, sometimes with burning
Overactive immune system, genes and triggers
No
Fungal infection (tinea, athlete’s foot)
Groin, feet, body, nails, often on one side first
A ring with a scaly, spreading edge and a clearer center
Common
A fungus; a skin scraping can confirm it
Yes, through contact and shared towels or shoes
Psoriasis and other rashes can also exist side by side, and a steroid or antifungal cream used without a diagnosis can blur the picture. If you are not sure what you have, see a dermatologist before anything else. For the dermatitis family in detail, read dermatitis and medical cannabis.
Could medical cannabis be worth discussing for your psoriasis?
Fourteen short questions about your skin, your joints, what you have tried and the medicines you take. Your answers stay on this page and show what to bring to a physician.
14 questions · about a minute · your answers stay in this browser
How psoriasis is usually treated
Treatment follows a ladder. Mild psoriasis can often be controlled with creams or ointments; moderate and severe psoriasis may need light therapy, pills or injections [5]. The American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation publish joint guidelines that describe each step, and dermatologists across the US work from them [15]. Which step fits depends on how much skin is involved, where it is, whether the joints are affected and how much psoriasis disrupts your life.
Where are you in treatment now?
Pick your current step to see what is worth raising about cannabis there.
Creams and ointments
Steroid creams, clobetasol among the strongest, are used most. Others include synthetic vitamin D, coal tar, tazarotene, and tacrolimus or pimecrolimus for the face and folds [13]. Medicated shampoos, foams and body washes help the scalp and body. Usually the first step.
Light therapy
Controlled doses of ultraviolet light, given at a clinic or with a home unit under a dermatologist’s care, slow the overactive skin [13]. Used when creams are not enough or the area is too large for them.
Pills
Methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin and apremilast work through the whole body [13]. Most need regular blood tests, because they can affect the liver, kidneys or blood pressure [4] [16].
Injections (biologics)
Biologics block one specific signal of the immune system and are used for moderate to severe psoriasis. Before starting, you are screened, including a tuberculosis test, because they raise the risk of serious infection [17].
On creams and ointments: the question is mostly about the skin itself. A cannabis cream on top of a prescription cream adds another product to skin that may already be irritated, and it is not a replacement for a steroid that is working. See what topicals do and do not avoid.
On light therapy: ask before putting anything new on treated skin, and mention every product you use, since skin under treatment can react more. See interactions with psoriasis treatments.
On pills: this is where the medicine list matters most. Methotrexate and the liver, cyclosporine and its blood levels, acitretin and alcohol, apremilast and mood. Read safety with psoriasis medicines before anything else.
On a biologic: the main concerns are infections and anything that irritates the airways. Mention any cannabis use to the doctor who manages your biologic. See using cannabis while on a biologic.
Nothing yet: start with a dermatologist. Proven treatments come first, and a confirmed diagnosis is also what a state program asks for. See how psoriasis is diagnosed.
Why cannabis comes up for psoriasis
The skin has its own endocannabinoid system: the body makes cannabinoid-like molecules, and skin cells, nerve endings and immune cells in the skin carry receptors for them. Researchers think this system helps set how fast skin cells grow, how strongly the skin becomes inflamed and how itch signals travel: exactly the three things that go wrong in psoriasis [18]. That is why scientists started testing plant cannabinoids on skin; the cannabis plant holds more than 120 of them [7]. The basics are explained in our guide to the endocannabinoid system, and the immune side in cannabis and the immune system.
That logic is a hypothesis. Most of it comes from cells in a dish and from animals, and what happens in a lab culture often does not happen on a person’s elbow. Here is what has actually been seen, step by step, and where.
Skin cells that multiply too fast Lab study
What was seen: in skin samples from people with psoriasis, a 2026 analysis found the gene for CB2 (one of the two main cannabinoid receptors) more active in plaques than in healthy skin, and more active than in the same patients’ unaffected skin [18]. In skin rebuilt in the lab from psoriatic cells, a molecule related to the body’s own cannabinoids slowed how fast the cells multiplied [19].
What it means: the target is there, in the plaque. It does not yet show that a product applied to a person’s skin reaches it, or what happens when it does.
Inflammation signals Mouse study
What was seen: in mice with a psoriasis-like rash, a 0.1% CBD cream damped the IL-23 signal through a pathway called JAK2-STAT3, and inflammatory messengers that drive psoriasis, such as IL-17A and TNF-alpha, fell with it [1]. IL-23 and IL-17 are the same signals several psoriasis biologics are designed to block.
What it means: a plausible route from CBD to calmer skin, seen in mice over five days of treatment. It has not been measured in people.
Itch Mouse study
What was seen: in a 2026 mouse study, blocking an enzyme called MAGL raised the body’s own cannabinoid 2-AG, and both the inflammation and the scratching went down; when the CB2 receptor was blocked, the benefit disappeared [12].
What it means: a real itch pathway runs through the endocannabinoid system, but the drug used was not a cannabis product, and only male mice were studied [12].
The two best-known cannabinoids have been studied separately, and what is found for one does not carry over to the other.
CBD (cannabidiol) Lab and mouse studies
Does not cause a high. Most psoriasis work tests CBD in creams, nanoparticles and patches applied to the skin. It is also the cannabinoid most often found in creams sold over the counter.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) Lab studies
The cannabinoid that causes a high. In the lab it acts on immune cells and on the receptors of nerve endings involved in itch and pain. Its effects on mood, sleep and pain are why it comes up for the symptoms around psoriasis rather than for the plaques themselves.
Can medical cannabis help psoriasis? What the research shows, from strongest to weakest
The honest short answer: individual studies show that cannabinoids can calm psoriasis-like inflammation in skin cells and in mice. In people, the evidence is thin: reports on a couple of patients and one controlled trial that has been planned but not yet reported [3]. That is enough to justify more research. It is not enough to say how well cannabis works for psoriasis, at what dose, or for whom.
Which kinds of studies exist?
How to read: each bar counts studies of one kind. Darker bars are studies in people, lighter ones are not. Some studies counted here are about psoriasis medicines rather than cannabis.
The single biggest group is lab work on cells and skin samples; studies in people exist, but several of them test psoriasis medicines rather than cannabis.
Show as a table
| Kind of study | Number of studies |
|---|---|
| In people | |
| Randomized trials | 3 |
| Other clinical trials | 1 |
| Cohort studies | 4 |
| Cross-sectional studies | 1 |
| Surveys | 1 |
| Summaries | |
| Reviews of other studies | 7 |
| Not in people | |
| Animal studies | 5 |
| Lab studies on cells or skin samples | 9 |
Not all studies count the same. The table below lists the kinds of evidence from the strongest to the weakest and what each kind can and cannot tell you about psoriasis.
| Level | What exists for psoriasis | What it can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled trials in people | One randomized trial of a CBD skin patch in 60 adults with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis has published its plan; there are no results yet [3] | This is the level that would show whether cannabis truly works and how it compares with doing nothing. Until the results are out, it is missing. |
| Small reports in people | Two people whose plaques improved on a CBG/CBD oil, described in a 2024 review, with no comparison group [20] | Can suggest what to test next. Without a comparison group, cannot separate the product from moisturizing, other treatment or natural ups and downs. |
| Reviews and surveys | Reviews that pull the lab and animal work together [7][20], and a survey of what dermatologists think [20] | Show where the field stands and what doctors are unsure about. Say nothing reliable about effect. |
| Animal and lab studies | Mice with a psoriasis-like rash [1][12][21], skin cells and skin samples [18][22][19][2] | Explain a possible mechanism. Results in a dish or a mouse often fail in people. |
Browse the studies
Each card says what was tested, what was found and what holds the result back. Filter by where the study was done.
Does a CBD skin patch ease psoriasis?
Researchers set up a 90-day randomized, controlled trial in 60 adults with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis, using a patch that holds 1 mg of CBD. Only the plan is published; there are no results yet [3].
Limits: one academic center; itch is scored by the patients themselves; CBD may pass through the skin differently on different parts of the body.
What do we know about CBD in psoriasis?
Gathers lab, animal and early human reports, including two people whose plaques improved by 16% and 33% with a 15% CBG/CBD oil, and a survey in which 83.3% of dermatologists were unsure whether psoriasis is a reason to use medical cannabis [20].
Limits: a narrative review with few clinical trials to draw on; no guidance yet on dose, product or long-term safety, and the authors warn that CBD’s effect on skin-cell growth inside the body may be unpredictable.
How might plant cannabinoids act on psoriasis?
Maps how cannabinoids from the cannabis plant act on skin cells, oxidative stress and inflammatory signals, and notes that psoriasis affects about 4% of people [7].
Limits: very few clinical trials to review, no large patient groups, and little data on whether treating the skin changes anything in the blood.
Does a CBD cream calm psoriasis-like skin in mice?
In mice with a psoriasis-like rash, a 0.1% CBD cream thinned the thickened outer layer of skin and damped the IL-23 inflammation signal [1]. The numbers are in how much cannabis can help.
Limits: five mice per group and five days of treatment; in early testing, creams of 1% and stronger irritated the skin more [1].
Can raising the body’s own cannabinoids ease itch?
Blocking the enzyme MAGL raised the endocannabinoid 2-AG and reduced both inflammation and scratching in mice; blocking the CB2 receptor undid the effect [12].
Limits: only male mice; the drug tested is not a cannabis product.
Does packing CBD into nanoparticles help a cream work?
CBD carried in lipid-stabilized nanoparticles lowered psoriasis severity scores in mice compared with untreated mice [21].
Limits: mice only; what such particles do in the whole body, beyond the skin, still needs study.
Are cannabinoid receptors different in psoriasis plaques?
Pooled 402 skin samples from public research databases (110 from plaques, 57 from unaffected skin of psoriasis patients and 235 from healthy donors) and found the CB2 receptor gene more active in plaques [18].
Limits: whole-tissue analysis can hide changes in single cell types, and the pooled data lacked severity and treatment details.
Can CBD be carried into the skin better?
Tested CBD in an argan-oil nanoemulsion made for psoriasis skin: in lab tests it passed into skin samples and was tolerated by skin cells at the tested strengths [22].
Limits: toxicity showed up in a tiny worm used for safety screening, and the formula was not tested in a psoriasis model.
Can a cannabinoid-like molecule slow psoriatic skin cells?
In skin rebuilt in the lab from psoriatic cells, N-eicosapentaenoyl-ethanolamine, a molecule related to the body’s own cannabinoids, reduced how fast the skin cells multiplied [19].
Limits: a lab model of skin, not a person, and the molecule is not a cannabis product.
Does the carrier change how CBD works on skin?
Looked at how fats built into polymer nanoparticles affect delivery of CBD into skin and its anti-inflammatory activity in lab tests [2].
Limits: lab work only; whether it matters for psoriasis in people is untested.
Two things follow for a reader with psoriasis. First, whatever benefit exists is most likely modest and limited to symptoms such as itch, not to clearing the disease. Second, the clearest fact around cannabis and psoriasis is about a risk, not a benefit: smoking is a known psoriasis trigger [5] [6], and that is a risk of the form, not of cannabinoids as such. Forms are covered further down.
How much can cannabis help psoriasis? The numbers that exist
For no cannabis product in people with psoriasis is there an estimate of effect with a confidence range, the margin that tells you how sure a result is. That is why this page shows no chart of effect sizes. The only such range in the research on this topic belongs to a biologic medicine, not to cannabis. What does exist is three kinds of numbers, each with a catch.
Put together, these numbers say that something happens in mouse skin and in a couple of people. They cannot tell you how much your own plaques, itch or sleep would change, and nobody should quote you a percentage.
What science doesn’t know yet about cannabis and psoriasis
The gaps here are large, and they are the main reason no physician can promise you a result. Open each one to see what is known now and what kind of study would settle it.
How big the effect is
Known now: thinner skin in mice and improvement in two people on an oil [1][20]. No study has measured how much a cannabis product improves psoriasis compared with nothing, or with a cream you already have.
What would settle it: a randomized trial against a dummy product, large enough to measure a difference, the kind now planned for a CBD patch [3].
What dose, and for how long
Known now: studies used single test strengths: a 0.1% cream for five days in mice, and stronger creams of 1% and above irritated the skin more [1]; a 1 mg CBD patch is planned for 90 days [3]. There is no tested dose of CBD or THC for psoriasis, by any route, and no data on use over months or years.
What would settle it: trials that compare several strengths over months, with long-term safety follow-up.
How it compares with standard treatment
Known now: nothing direct. No study puts cannabis side by side with steroids, light therapy, pills or biologics.
What would settle it: head-to-head trials, or trials that add a cannabis product on top of standard treatment and compare with standard treatment alone.
Which products and forms
Known now: nearly all the work tests creams, nanoparticles and patches applied to skin. Edibles, tinctures, vapes and the products actually sold in dispensaries are largely untested for psoriasis.
What would settle it: studies of the products people really buy, with their THC and CBD content measured.
Skin versus whole body
Known now: a cream acts mainly where it is applied, and there is little data on whether skin treatment changes anything in the blood [7]. A 2024 review warns that CBD’s effect on skin-cell growth inside the body may be unpredictable [20].
What would settle it: studies that measure blood levels and whole-body effects alongside the skin.
Who might benefit
Known now: studies do not tell us whether type, severity, skin color or psoriatic arthritis change the answer. The one planned trial takes only adults with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis [3].
What would settle it: larger trials that include different types, severities and skin colors, reported separately.
The takeaway: cannabis for psoriasis is a subject for a conversation with a physician who knows your medicines, not for trial and error on your own.
Ways to use cannabis: what each form avoids
Cannabis is not only smoked. People also vape it, swallow it as gummies, capsules or oils, hold drops under the tongue, or put it on the skin as creams and patches. Each form avoids some risks and keeps others, and for psoriasis the differences are unusually sharp, because smoke is itself a trigger and the skin is where creams go. This section explains the differences; it does not recommend a form.
How is it used, or how would it be?
Choose the closest; most people combine more than one.
Specific to smoking
Joints, blunts, pipes and bongs burn plant material. Smoking is a recognized trigger of psoriasis [5] [6] – a risk of the smoke, not of the cannabinoids – and smoke also irritates the throat and lungs. The dose is hard to measure.
Specific to vaping and dabbing
Dry-herb vaporizers, oil pens and cartridges avoid burning, but hot vapor still passes through the same airways. Concentrates used for dabbing (wax, shatter, rosin) are very strong, which makes the dose even harder to control.
Shared devices
A joint, pipe or vape passed around also passes on colds and other infections, a real concern if a biologic or another immune-calming medicine already raises your infection risk [17].
Specific to edibles and capsules
Gummies, chocolates, drinks, capsules and swallowed oils avoid smoke entirely. They start slowly, often an hour or more, and last for hours, and the classic mistake is a second piece “because the first did nothing.” Everything swallowed passes through the liver before it reaches the blood, which matters on methotrexate [4]. Edibles have not been studied for psoriasis itself.
Specific to tinctures and sprays
Drops under the tongue and mouth sprays avoid the lungs and are measured by the drop or spray. Part of the dose is still swallowed and goes through the liver. Some tinctures are made with alcohol, something to check on the label if you take acitretin [23] or methotrexate.
Specific to topicals and patches
Creams, balms and ointments act mainly where they are applied, and they are the form most of the psoriasis research has tested [1][21]. On cracked or inflamed skin, any product, cannabis or not, can sting, irritate or cause an allergic reaction, and in mice stronger CBD creams irritated the skin more [1], so a cannabis cream is not automatically a gentle alternative. Transdermal patches are different: they deliver cannabinoids into the blood, so their effects and interactions count like any other form.
Specific to prescription cannabinoids
Dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), nabilone (Cesamet) and cannabidiol (Epidiolex) are FDA-approved medicines for other conditions [24]. They come with a prescription from a pharmacy, not from a dispensary with a medical card, and none is approved for psoriasis.
True of every form
- THC can cause drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety and a dry mouth.
- Whatever reaches the blood is handled by the liver and can change levels of other medicines; CBD does this too [25].
- No driving after using THC.
- The THC and CBD content on the label decides more than the form does.
Choosing a form is a conversation for the appointment.
All forms as a table
| Form | What it avoids | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Delay in onset | Smoke, a known psoriasis trigger; airway irritation; shared devices; hard-to-measure dose; all effects of THC |
| Vaping & dabbing | Burning plant material | Hot vapor in the airways; very strong concentrates; shared devices; all effects of THC |
| Edibles & capsules | Smoke and vapor; shared devices | Slow, long effect; risk of a repeat dose; passes through the liver; interactions |
| Tinctures & sprays | Smoke and vapor; shared devices | Partly swallowed dose; alcohol in some products; effects of THC; interactions |
| Topicals | Most effects on the brain | Irritation or allergy on broken or inflamed skin |
| Transdermal patches | Smoke, vapor and swallowing | Cannabinoids in the blood; effects of THC; interactions |
| Prescription cannabinoids | Unknown product content | Drowsiness, dizziness, interactions; not approved for psoriasis |
Safety and interactions with psoriasis medicines
THC can cause drowsiness, dizziness, a racing heart, anxiety or paranoia, and a dry mouth; edibles bring the added risk of taking a second dose before the first has kicked in. Do not drive after using THC. CBD does not cause a high, but it is not inert: it can raise liver enzyme levels and change how the body clears some other medicines [25].
The bigger question for psoriasis is what you already take. Several standard psoriasis medicines load the liver, need blood tests or call for no alcohol at all, so the medicine list decides more than the diagnosis does.
What do you take?
Pick one to open just that group. This is a list of things to discuss, not a complete list of interactions.
Methotrexate
What is known: methotrexate can cause serious liver damage, especially with long use, and its label asks you to talk to your doctor about alcohol [4]. CBD can raise liver enzymes in its own right [25], and every swallowed product (edibles, capsules, much of a tincture) is processed by the liver first.
What to watch: your scheduled liver blood tests; yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or pain under the right ribs mean a doctor today.
What to ask: “Would any cannabis product change how often my liver tests should be done?” Methotrexate also causes serious harm in pregnancy [4] – see who should not use cannabis.
Cyclosporine
What is known: cyclosporine can raise blood pressure and damage the kidneys, and its blood level shifts with things that change how the liver processes it; grapefruit is the example on its label [16]. CBD also changes the activity of liver enzymes that clear medicines [25].
What to watch: blood pressure, kidney tests and cyclosporine levels if your doctor measures them.
What to ask: “If I add CBD or THC, should my cyclosporine level be checked sooner?”
Apremilast
What is known: apremilast can bring on depression or thoughts of self-harm, and its label asks you to report any change in mood right away [26]. THC also affects mood and anxiety, so a change could come from either.
What to watch: new low mood, anxiety, sleep changes or dark thoughts: tell your doctor, and call 988 if you are in crisis.
What to ask: “How would we tell a side effect of apremilast from an effect of cannabis?”
Acitretin
What is known: no alcohol in any form, drinks, foods or medicines, while on acitretin and for months after stopping, because alcohol turns it into a form that stays in the body far longer [23]. Some tinctures are made with alcohol. Acitretin can also harm an unborn baby for years after the last dose [23].
What to watch: labels of tinctures and sprays for alcohol; pregnancy plans with your dermatologist.
What to ask: “Which products would contain alcohol, and how long after acitretin does the rule apply?”
Biologics and biosimilars
What is known: biologics calm part of the immune system, so they raise the risk of serious infections, and smoking adds to that risk [17]. No direct interaction between cannabinoids and biologics has been established, but smoke and vapor irritate the airways, and shared devices pass on infections.
What to watch: fever, cough, burning when you pass urine or any sign of infection: call the doctor who prescribes your biologic.
What to ask: “Is any form of cannabis a problem with my biologic, and should I avoid inhaled forms?”
Creams, ointments and light therapy
What is known: no interaction with cannabis creams has been described in people, but layering products on skin that is already treated or broken raises the chance of irritation and allergy, and makes it hard to tell which product helped or harmed. In lab work, CBD protected skin cells from damage caused by ultraviolet light [7] – a finding from cells, not a reason to change a light-therapy plan.
What to watch: new redness, stinging or a rash where you applied a product.
What to ask: “Can I use a cannabis topical on the same areas, and should I skip it before light sessions?”
Alcohol
What is known: heavy drinking is a psoriasis trigger in its own right [6]. With methotrexate it adds to liver risk [4], and with acitretin it is off-limits [23]. Together with THC it deepens drowsiness and impairment.
What to watch: how much you drink in a typical week, honestly counted.
What to ask: “Given my medicines, how much alcohol is safe for me, if any?”
Bring the complete list to the appointment: prescriptions, injections, creams, over-the-counter sleep aids, supplements and anything you take “only sometimes.” Show it to your dermatologist too, since the physician who evaluates you for a card and the doctor who prescribes your psoriasis treatment should both know.
Who should not use cannabis for psoriasis
For some people the answer is “not now” or “not at all,” whatever the skin looks like. These are the situations a physician will rule out first, and the same ones researchers leave out of cannabis trials for psoriasis [3].
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy. THC passes to the baby, and methotrexate and acitretin themselves carry serious risks in pregnancy [4] [23].
- A history of psychosis or of a close relative with schizophrenia; THC can bring it on or make it worse. See cannabis and psychosis.
- Liver disease, or abnormal liver tests on methotrexate [4]. Severe kidney disease belongs on the same list.
- A serious heart rhythm problem or recent heart attack; THC can speed the heart, and psoriasis already adds to heart risk [5].
- Younger than the age your state’s program allows without a parent or guardian.
- A history of substance use disorder, including problems with cannabis itself, or a known allergy to cannabis products.
Talk to a licensed physician about whether any of these apply
Is psoriasis a qualifying condition for a medical card?
It depends on your state and on the physician. Every medical cannabis program keeps its own list of qualifying conditions, and a physician has to match a diagnosis in your records to that list. A few programs name psoriasis or skin conditions outright. More often, people with psoriasis qualify through a condition that comes with it, chronic pain or psoriatic arthritis, or under wording that lets a physician certify a condition they judge debilitating.
No one can promise approval in advance, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What helps is paperwork: a recorded diagnosis, a note of who made it, and a history of what you have tried and how it went.
Named on the list
Psoriasis is named in your state
The simplest case. Bring the dermatologist’s or primary care note with the diagnosis, and the physician evaluates you against that listed condition.
Chronic pain or psoriatic arthritis
Chronic pain is on most lists, and arthritis on many. What counts is a diagnosis in your records, not a symptom alone.
Physician’s judgment
Left to the physician
Some states let physicians certify other serious or debilitating conditions. Others accept petitions to add new ones. In a few, there is no path yet.
Not on your state’s list?
That is the most common situation, and it is rarely the end of the question. The answer depends on what else is in your records and on how your state words its list. Fourteen short questions on this page sort out which case is yours and what to bring.
You ask: My state’s list doesn’t name psoriasis. Is that the end?
A physician answers: Not necessarily. Many lists include chronic pain or arthritis, and long-lasting pain from psoriatic arthritis or cracked skin can be the diagnosis that counts. Some states also let a physician certify another serious condition. Bring your records and your medicine list; I check them against your state’s wording, and nobody can promise the result before that.
What else has a doctor diagnosed?
State lists name diagnoses, not symptoms: pick what is in your records.
Psoriatic arthritis: arthritis appears on many state lists, and a rheumatologist’s note carries weight. Read arthritis and medical cannabis.
Chronic pain: the most widely listed condition across state programs, and the most common route for people with psoriasis. Read chronic pain and medical cannabis.
Insomnia: a diagnosed sleep disorder is listed in some programs. Read insomnia and medical cannabis.
Anxiety: several states list anxiety disorders or cover them under broader wording. Read anxiety and medical cannabis.
Depression: fewer states list it, and THC can move mood in either direction. Read depression and medical cannabis.
None of these: then the decision rests on your state’s wording and the physician’s judgment. Start with your state’s medical marijuana laws.
Medical card or recreational: state rules, savings and your rights
Once you know you may qualify, four things decide whether a card is worth it where you live, and each is set by your state, not by the diagnosis.
Your state’s rules, with official sources
Whether your state has a medical program only or adult-use sales as well; how much a patient may buy and carry, often more than a recreational buyer; whether patients pay less tax, and how much less; and whether patients may grow their own and how many plants. The current figures, each with its official source, are kept state by state.
Medical card, recreational purchase or a drugstore CBD cream
In states with adult-use sales, adults can buy without a card. A card still changes several things, though the details are set state by state. It also differs from the CBD cream on a drugstore shelf.
| Aspect | With a medical card | Recreational | Over-the-counter CBD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes | Often lower; some states waive part of the cannabis tax for patients | Full state and local cannabis taxes | Ordinary sales tax |
| Purchase and possession limits | Often higher; depends on your state | Set for adult-use buyers | None for hemp CBD |
| Products | Medical dispensaries; in some states, medical-only products | Adult-use product range | Hemp-derived CBD creams and oils; labels are less tightly checked |
| Lab testing and labels | Tested and labeled with THC and CBD content under state rules | Tested and labeled under state rules | Varies; content may not match the label |
| Age | Patient age rules set by each program | Adult-use age limit set by the state | Set by the store or state |
| Physician involvement | A licensed physician reviews your conditions and medicines | None | None |
| Document | State card or recommendation in a confidential registry | Government ID only | None |
Where a card is not needed, it is fair to say so: in an adult-use state, if you only want a CBD cream, a card may add little. It earns its keep when taxes, limits or product access differ for patients, when you are under the adult-use age, or when your state has no adult-use sales at all.
Will a card save you money?
It can, but only where your state taxes patients less than recreational buyers, and the amount depends on your state’s rates and how much you buy. Weigh that against the evaluation fee and any state registration fee. The tax breakdown is in medical vs. recreational cannabis taxes, and the wider differences in medical and recreational cannabis compared.
What the program in your state involves
Qualifying is the first of two steps. In most states a physician’s recommendation is followed by registration with the state health department, which issues the card and enters you in a confidential patient registry; in a few, the recommendation itself is what a dispensary asks for. You then buy at licensed dispensaries: your state program lists them, and some deliver. Products there are lab-tested and labeled with their THC and CBD content; ask the staff to explain the label, whether a product is THC-dominant, CBD-dominant or balanced, and whether a topical contains anything besides cannabinoids that could irritate broken skin.
Many state laws also let a patient name a registered caregiver who may buy and handle products on their behalf; who qualifies and how to register is set by each state. Cards from one state are not automatically valid in another; see which states accept out-of-state cards.
Your rights with a card: firearms, work, driving and privacy
A state card protects you under state law. It does not change federal law, and that matters in a few places:
- Firearms. Federal law bars an “unlawful user” of a controlled substance from having a firearm [27], and the ATF treats state-legal cannabis users as covered, including on Form 4473 when buying a gun [28].
- Work. Protections for card holders differ by state, and many employers can still test and enforce drug-free policies, especially in safety-sensitive and federal jobs.
- Driving and transport. Driving under the influence of THC is illegal everywhere. Keep products sealed and out of reach while driving, and never carry them across state lines.
- Privacy. Your medical records are protected under the HIPAA Privacy Rule [29]; state registries are confidential, and dispensaries and police can usually check only whether a card is valid.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your state’s rules are on the laws and regulations pages.
Getting a card with psoriasis: first time, renewal or a new state
People reach this page from very different places. Pick the one closest to yours.
Diagnosed, no card yet
You have a psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and want to know whether a card fits. Start with the steps and what to bring.
My card is up for renewal
Renewal is a repeat evaluation. Bring any change in your treatment since last time: a new biologic, a stopped pill, new joint pain.
Renewal pages by state
Moving or traveling
Cards do not automatically carry across state lines, and a move usually means a new evaluation in the new state.
Which states accept out-of-state cards · Traveling with cannabis
Worried about work, firearms or privacy
A state card does not change federal law. Read what that means for your job, a gun purchase and who can see your records.
Veteran or on a low income
Programs for veterans and for people with a low income are available in some states.
Lost your card
Most states let you request a replacement from the program that issued it.
What this means if you are considering it
A good evaluation is a conversation about one or two specific problems (itch that keeps you up, joint pain, anxiety around flares) together with the medicines you already take and what would count as “better.” It goes faster and safer when the facts are on the table.
What to bring to the appointment
Tap each item as you get it ready.
Questions worth asking
- Which of my psoriasis medicines could interact, and what would we watch for?
- THC, CBD or both, and why for my symptom?
- Would a product on the skin or one taken by mouth make more sense for me, and why?
- How would we know within a few weeks whether it is helping?
- What should make me stop right away?
An evaluation makes sense if
- A specific symptom (itch, sleep, joint pain) has not settled with your current treatment.
- Your psoriasis diagnosis is confirmed and in your records.
- You can share your full medicine list.
- Your state’s program covers psoriasis or a related diagnosis.
It is not the right step if
- The hope is to clear psoriasis or stop your treatment.
- The rash has never been diagnosed.
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.
- There is a history of psychosis.
This page summarizes published information for education. It does not replace a physician’s advice. Cannabis does not cure psoriasis, and people taking methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, apremilast or a biologic should review any cannabis use with their doctors.
How to get a medical card for psoriasis online
Everything happens online, so there is nowhere to travel and no waiting room. Four steps take you from the first form to a card you can use.
Fill in the intake form
Your state, your diagnoses and your current medicines. Have the record of your psoriasis diagnosis ready to upload.
See a physician licensed in your state
A one-on-one appointment online. You agree on the time with the physician; keep an hour free rather than a minute. This is the moment to go through forms and interactions.
Receive your signed recommendation
If the physician approves, the signed recommendation arrives in your account, and you get an email when it is there.
Register with your state
Where required, you submit the recommendation to the state program, which reviews it and issues the card. The state, not us, sets how long that takes; your state’s rules say what it asks for.
What you end up with
Across 250 reviews from patients in the states where we are licensed. We do not sort them by score and do not hide the low ones.
- 150,000+patients evaluated – everyone who has been through an appointment with us, in every state where we are licensed
- Since 2017doing only this: online evaluations for medical cannabis programs, and nothing else on the side
A recommendation from a physician licensed where you live, and, once your state registers it, a card that lets you buy at licensed dispensaries. Your documents and the status of your recommendation stay in your account and documents, and how the medical card works explains the evaluation in detail. The physicians who see patients are listed on our physicians page.
Programs for veterans and for people with low income are available in some states. The evaluation fee for your state is shown before you pay; a state registration fee, where one exists, goes to the state separately.
Who stands behind this page
The line at the top of this article shows when it was last updated and that it was medically reviewed by the Dr. Weedy medical team. Every research claim carries a link to the study it comes from, and every claim about treatment or law links to the medical society, agency or statute behind it, all of them are listed under References at the end. Where the research is thin, this page says so rather than filling the gap. The physicians themselves are on our physicians page.
Questions people ask about psoriasis and medical cannabis
Can medical cannabis cure psoriasis?
No. Psoriasis is a chronic condition that treatment controls but does not cure [5], and no cannabis product has been shown to clear it. Research is looking at whether cannabinoids might ease symptoms such as itch, and the evidence is still early. Be wary of any product or website that promises to cure psoriasis permanently.
Is a CBD cream the same as a medical cannabis product?
No. A CBD psoriasis cream from a store or website is a hemp product: it is sold without a card, it is less tightly regulated, and what is inside may not match the label. Dispensary products are tested and labeled with their THC and CBD content under state rules. Neither kind is an approved psoriasis treatment, and either can irritate broken skin. The prescription creams in the standard treatment ladder are the ones with proven effect.
Can I use cannabis while on a biologic?
No direct interaction between cannabinoids and biologics has been established, but there are reasons for care. Biologics raise the risk of serious infections [17], and smoke, vapor and shared devices add to airway irritation and infection exposure. Tell the doctor who prescribes your biologic about any cannabis use, and see safety with psoriasis medicines.
Is psoriasis genetic or hereditary?
Partly. Psoriasis often runs in families, but genes alone are not enough: something usually sets the immune system off (stress, an infection such as strep throat, an injury to the skin) and the same kinds of triggers bring on later flares [5] [6]. A parent with psoriasis does not mean you will get it, and you can get it with no family history at all.
Can psoriasis start at any age?
Yes. It can begin in childhood or later in life, and it can appear suddenly, though it is more common in adults than in children [5]. Guttate psoriasis, the drop-shaped kind, often starts in children and young adults a few weeks after strep throat [5] [10]. New patches at any age are worth showing to a dermatologist.
Can psoriasis show up on the face, ears or lips?
Yes. Plaques can appear around the eyes and eyebrows and around the mouth and nose [10], and scalp psoriasis often reaches the hairline, the forehead and the skin behind and inside the ears. Psoriasis on the lips is uncommon, and other conditions look alike there, so a dermatologist should see it. Facial skin is thin, and dermatologists often choose different creams for it, such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus [13].
Is it psoriasis if it doesn’t itch?
It can be. Most people with psoriasis itch; figures cited in research put it at 60-80% [12] – which means a fair share do not. Itch alone neither confirms nor rules out psoriasis; how the patches look, where they are and, sometimes, a small skin sample do [14]. See what psoriasis gets mistaken for.
Do psoriasis shampoos and body washes help?
They can be part of treatment, especially for the scalp. Medicated shampoos, such as those with coal tar, help loosen scale and calm plaques [13]; alternating them with a gentle shampoo keeps the scalp from drying out [11]. Ask your dermatologist which one suits your skin, and avoid scrubbing plaques hard.
How much omega-3 should I take for psoriasis?
There is no established omega-3 dose for psoriasis, and fish oil is not a substitute for treatment. If you want to try it, agree on an amount with your doctor first, especially if you take blood thinners or have a procedure coming up, and add it to the medicine list you bring to any appointment.
Does gluten matter for psoriasis?
Only for some people. A gluten-free diet is not a general psoriasis treatment, but if you also have celiac disease or a confirmed gluten sensitivity, removing gluten can matter. Ask about testing before cutting gluten out, because the tests work only while you still eat it.
Are psoriasis, the thyroid and the gut linked?
Partly. People with psoriasis are more likely to have Crohn’s disease [5], one of the inflammatory bowel diseases: ongoing belly pain, diarrhea or blood in the stool are worth reporting. A link with thyroid disease has been studied but is less clear; ask your doctor whether testing makes sense for you. See inflammatory bowel disease and medical cannabis.
Does psoriasis make you immunocompromised?
Psoriasis itself is an overactive immune system, not a weak one. Some treatments, though (biologics, methotrexate and cyclosporine among them), calm the immune system and raise the risk of infections [17]. If you take one, you may be considered immunocompromised for things like vaccines; ask your doctor.
Is there a blood test for psoriasis?
Is psoriasis a disability?
It can be. Severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis that limits work and daily tasks, may qualify for disability benefits or for workplace accommodations, but each program decides case by case from medical records. Keep notes of flares, treatments and what you cannot do during them; they matter more than the diagnosis name.
Is Delta-8 THC an option?
Delta-8 THC sold in shops and online is hemp-derived and often less tightly regulated than dispensary products, and labels may not match what is inside. It acts much like regular THC, with the same drowsiness, interaction and driving concerns. It has not been studied for psoriasis.
Can I buy at any dispensary, and will my card work in another state?
In your own state, you can buy at licensed dispensaries that serve medical patients. Elsewhere, it depends: some states honor out-of-state cards and many do not. Check which states accept out-of-state cards and traveling with cannabis before a trip.
How much does it cost, and what if I’m not approved?
The evaluation fee for your state is shown before you pay; a state registration fee, where one exists, is paid to the state separately. Whether a recommendation is issued is the physician’s medical decision. Details for both are on how the medical card works.
Is an online evaluation legal?
Yes, where state law allows telemedicine for medical cannabis evaluations. The appointment is with a physician licensed in your state, one-on-one, and the recommendation is the same document an in-person visit would produce. Afterward it waits in your account.
Who finds out? Privacy, firearms and work
Privacy: your medical records are protected under the HIPAA Privacy Rule [29], and state patient registries are confidential; dispensaries and law enforcement can usually check only whether a card is valid.
Firearms: federal law bars anyone who is an “unlawful user” of a controlled substance from having a firearm [27], and a state card does not change the federal rule [28].
Work: employment protections for card holders differ by state, and many employers can still enforce drug-free policies. More in your rights with a card and on the laws and regulations pages.
More research on cannabis and psoriasis
This page cites a selection of studies. Our research library holds every study we track on cannabis and psoriasis, from laboratory work to clinical trials, and lets you filter them by cannabinoid, study type and year.
- studies
- 94
- in people
- 32
- clinical trials
- 10