Marijuana And Acne: The Complete Scoop On Cannabis And Skin

Marijuana is pretty popular stuff these days. The debate has raged for years. Opponents claim that legalising marijuana will encourage more people to use it, and warn of psychosis and hallucinations.

Then there’s the avid marijuana fans, who smoke weed to open their mind, gain insight into important questions, relax, be creative, compose music, and possibly even improve their health…

Marijuana is now legal in grocery stores across the US state of Colorado and hence, it’s finally time to analyse whether it causes acne. However, there’s a problem. Personally, I have nothing against normal people who enjoy marijuana, but there’s one subgroup who are a real bunch of pests: the hard-core legalisation advocates.

They infiltrate ever single forum thread, so much so that proper science gets buried. Every discussion about acne inevitably degenerates into psychosis, opening your mind to drugs, whether marijuana increases car accidents; all sorts of unrelated subjects.

Maybe you’ve fallen foul of these activists yourself. Many acne patients are totally confused about marijuana because of it. They’re almost as confused as they are about chocolate, which is actually extremely beneficial for acne.

Therefore, we will now solve the marijuana and acne debate once and for all, using purely science.

 

Does cannabis increase testosterone?

Firstly, cannabis is the most popular illegal, or at least mostly illegal recreational drug worldwide.

It can be derived from three different plants of the cannabis species: cannabis sativa, cannabis indica, and the less common cannabis rederalis. So far, scientists have identified a staggering 483 medicinal compounds in cannabis.

At least 84 are cannabinoids, the all-important compounds for any pot smoker. When smoked, cannabinoids enter the bloodstream and bind with cannabinoid receptors all around your body.

The high then arrives, but also physical effects like a ravenous appetite, a pounding heart, and muscle relaxation.

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The most important high-giving cannabinoid is easily tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis users specifically hunt for strains with a strong CBD/THC ratio; the more THC the better. CBD, meanwhile, is disliked since it cancels out THC’s mental effects. Consequently, farmers are now selectively breeding their crops to contain more THC.

Got all that? Now let’s move onto whether marijuana causes acne. The short answer is no, and in fact, it may be beneficial.

One common fear is that smoking marijuana increases testosterone levels. That’s the main androgenic hormone in men, and the reason why both men and women suddenly get a faceful of acne at age 13. Testosterone and its derivative DHT stimulate your sebaceous glands to pump out more oil, clogging your pores like a professional…

…but if anything, smoking weed probably decreases levels. In this acne article, some dermatologist called Dr Ariel Ostad says that smoking, ingesting, or vaporising marijuana raises testosterone immediately by 3-5%. Supposedly, it’s the THC which does the trick. But he failed to cite a study, and furthermore, “wacky baccy” is well known for messing with male hormonal health.

For starters, there’s the notorious gynecomastia, AKA bitch tits or gyno, a growth of female breast tissue on a man’s chest. It’s caused by excessive estrogen, the female sex hormone, which counteracts the effects of testosterone.

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Cannabis smoke contains several non-cannabinoid compounds which stimulate your body’s estrogen receptors, and this 2002 review declared that weed causing gynecomastia is plausible. Pot smokers everywhere fear gyno, and a common saying is that “doobies make boobies”.

They’re also scared of erectile dysfunction. An old 1982 study found two times higher rates in regular pot users, and it’s a commonly reported side effect. Alongside weak blood flow, low testosterone is the number one cause of erectile dysfunction.

Some pretty nasty results there, but for acne, they’re indirect evidence that marijuana lowers testosterone levels, if anything.

Likewise, animal studies show that marijuana shrinks the testes. Marijuana cigarettes with 2.8% THC can lower luteinising hormone, the precursor to testosterone (study). This study analysed testosterone levels directly, and found reduced levels after smoking marijuana, which persisted for at least 24 hours.

One review included evidence that marijuana lowers testosterone levels, yet concluded that “chronic marijuana use showed no significant effect on hormone concentrations in either men or women”. In cell-based studies, marijuana has even inhibited the testicular enzymes needed to create testosterone in the first place.

The human studies might be inconclusive, but THC/marijuana almost certainly doesn’t increase testosterone…

…but clearly, lowering testosterone is often bad news for the rest of your health. I’ve had horrific acne before, but I like to eat a high testosterone diet for improved mental focus, more physical energy, and increased muscle mass.

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High testosterone isn’t the end of the world for acne anyway. You can just worker harder elsewhere, by eating more antioxidants, lowering insulin, and very importantly, increasing your vitamin A intake. Plus, 3-5% will hardly open the oily skin floodgates.

 

Marijuana is famous for anti-inflammatory properties

Now here’s why a pot smoking habit could actually improve your acne. Chronic inflammation is the number one disease behind all types of acne, and tetrahydrocannabinol is gaining serious attention for anti-inflammatory powers.

Cannabis has been a popular alternative medicine for centuries, and today, the chronically ill adore it for pain relief and muscle relaxation. Its anti-inflammatory powers are largely why the legalisation of medicinal cannabis is so hotly debated, as opposed to just recreational cannabis.

ONE – in a Zurich study, cannabis lowered inflammation well, but not just thanks to the psychoactive cannabinoids.

Instead, scientists treated inflamed rat paws with a cannabis compound called beta-caryophyllene, which reduced swelling and inflammation by 70%. Apparently beta caryophyllene stimulates the BCP receptor, which inhibits a cascade of immune system reactions.

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TWO – this 2009 review analysed the entire issue of cannabis and inflammation and commented that cannabinoids had huge potential for a variety of inflammatory diseases.

Apparently, cannabis and its compounds can directly inhibit pro-inflammatory (and pro acne) chemicals: “It is becoming increasingly clear that cannabinoid receptors… play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system”

THREE – one cannabis-derived compound is ajulemic acid (AJA), a synthetic derivative of THC designed to lower inflammation without causing a high. This study found that AJA inhibited the powerful pro-inflammatory chemical interleukin 1-beta.

According to the scientists, this could explain why cannabis treats arthritis so well (a classic inflammatory disorder). AJA can also suppress interleukin-6 production in human cells (study), which is interesting news because acne prone skin has notoriously high IL-6 levels.

FOUR – THC itself may also inhibit interleukin-6 (study), along with other pro-inflammatory chemicals like interleukin-1beta, interleukin-8 and TNF-a.

FIVE – in a recent 2014 study on 9000 people, regular pot smokers had significantly less inflammation. 12% smoked pot on a regular basis, 40% never did, and 48% did so infrequently.

Good news: people who had smoked marijuana in the last month had far less c-reactive protein, the standard biomarker of inflammation. The evidence apparently “points towards possible anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis smoking”. 

Basically, the evidence that smoking marijuana regularly cuts inflammation is overwhelming.

In fact, 10 to 20 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy chronic pain, and AIDS have admitted to smoking cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Both THC and other cannabis plant compounds seem to play a part.

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The science is solid and well established, the debate over medicinal marijuana is more due to paranoia about psychosis, hallucinations and whispering voices in the head. Hence why they developed ajulemic acid which doesn’t have those effects.

Now, I’m not actually recommending marijuana for acne, because eliminating sugar and eating omega 3s will also slash inflammation. But if you love weed, then the lowered inflammation will cancel out any other acne problems it secretly has.

 

Does marijuana smoke pump you full of free radicals?

Another possible pitfall of marijuana is the free radicals generated in the smoke, but again, there’s good news: tobacco smoke contains far more.

As we discussed here, you can ingest 100 trillion free radicals with only a singe puff on a cigarette. Free radicals cause acne by depleting antioxidants. Marijuana smoke does contain some, if the leaves hit 230 degrees during combustion, which they usually do when smoked…

…but cannabis also controls immune system cytokines which create free radicals, such as neutrophils. Furthermore, tobacco is nutritionally bereft. Cannabis contains THC and cannabinoids, which can counteract the free radicals further with their antioxidant properties. Thus, marijuana is neutral to acne overall.

This study found that cannabis is far less carcinogenic (cancer-causing) than tobacco. Why does this matter? Because almost all of a cigarette’s carcinogenicity is derived from its colossal quantities of free radicals.

Cannabis smoke actually contains over 50 carcinogens like nitrosamines, reactive aldehydes, and polycylic hydrocarbons. Yet marijuana still kills many types of human cancer cells. Clearly, the plant compounds are cancelling the free radicals out. It’s the opposite of tobacco, a lung cancer, throat cancer-causing extraordinaire.

Watch out though – you absolutely must vaporise your marijuana. Cigarettes are marijuana leaves rolled up, combusted, and smoked, but vaporising heats the cannabis to only 180c to 200c.

In this interesting San Francisco study, 18 patients received either smoked or vaporised cannabis, three times a day, in 3 different doses.

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Plasma concentrations of the psychoactive THC increased equally in the vaporising and smoking groups. But vaping caused little to no exhalation of carbon monoxide, the classic pollutant of marijuana smoke. Smoking, meanwhile, caused tons of it.

Apparently, “there was virtually no exposure to harmful combustion products using the vaporizing device”. Yet THC reached a similar blood peak to smoking, while beating pills. Consequently, “this device has great potential for improving the therapeutic utility of THC”.

Essentially, you get the high of cannabis without any of the harmful by-products. The participants also answered a survey, and great news: the smoking and vaporising group enjoyed an equally satisfying high. Vaporising won the popularity contest with ease, thanks to greater efficiency and fewer side effects.

The verdict? Marijuana is generally neutral for free radicals when smoked, but could actually be positive when vaporised.

 

Stress hormones and collagen damage

There’s only two real downsides to marijuana.

Firstly, marijuana smoke is high in hydrocarbons, which are known to damage the production of collagen upon contact with your skin. That’s bad news for acne patients, because collagen helps your old pimples to fade away.

Collagen also provides broad structural strength against air pollution, inflammation and even acne-causing chemicals in cosmetics like perfume. Collagen depletion can also age you prematurely, because the emergence of winkles, sagging, and thinness is partly caused by a consistent drop in collagen beginning at age 25.

Secondly, many pot users enjoy marijuana because it helps them to relax, but marijuana is well known for increasing stress hormones. Patients in this study smoked a marijuana joint with 2.8% THC and afterwards, their cortisol spiked sharply. This study analysed 10 marijuana addicts and discovered significantly higher cortisol levels than people who didn’t smoke weed.

Therefore, even if you feel chilled out, or “chillaxed”, your stress hormones could be surging upwards. That’s especially true if you’re experiencing the classic mental side effects of stress, anxiety and panic attacks.

It’s possible that the mental stress comes first, and then increases stress hormones, but alternatively, the cannabinoids in marijuana could stimulate cortisol production regardless of any mental anxiety.

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Going back to basics, cortisol is the main stress hormone. Cortisol impairs your digestion, prevents old acne from healing, and causes permanently elevated blood sugar. It even alters your gut bacteria composition, and as we commonly discuss, friendly gut bacteria might be the most interesting new area of acne research.

If marijuana does spike cortisol, then that’s seriously worrying for acne…

…but overall, the increase seems to be mild. The second study was on addicts too; addictions of all kinds whether to tobacco or nicotine tend to stimulate stress hormones when left unsatisfied.

Furthermore, this study tested a less famous cannabinoid called Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC), gathering 40 frequent cannabis smokers and 36 healthy controls. As expected, Δ-9-THC increased the secretion of cortisol from the adrenal glands and into the blood.

But here’s an interesting point: the increase was blunted in those who smoked marijuana regularly. Apparently, this “may be related to the development of tolerance to the neuroendocrine effects of cannabinoids”. In other words, the spike in stress hormones (and acne) will be much smaller if you smoke marijuana regularly. With the right strategies and a little tactical thinking, you almost can’t fail.

As for the collagen chaos, there are no studies on real pot smokers, and all the smoke wafting around and reacting with your collagen will be eliminated if you switch to vaporisation. Overall, these two acne problems are pretty much non-entities.

 

Forget about cannabis, get some zinc instead

Overall, cannabis itself is pretty much a non entity for acne as well. If you’re mostly using topical treatments right now, then one acne weapon which you cannot ignore is zinc.

Zinc is the single most important mineral for acne. This study found that zinc reduces pimples by 49.8% after eight weeks, while in this study, 54.1% of acne patients were deficient.

Zinc keeps your immune system on a leash, preventing it from reddening and swelling pimples. It even enhances the acne powers of vitamin A, including the famous oily skin powers.

If you’re a beginner to clearing acne naturally then zinc, not removing cannabis, is your first step. How do you increase your intake? Either rearrange your diet or take a supplement. Foods rich in zinc include meat, eggs, oysters, seeds and other seafood.

Personally, I like to take at least the daily allowance (15mg), to guarantee that my intake is optimal for acne. My favourite supplement by far is this MegaFood Zinc (amazon link).

This brand is pure, and completely free from harmful chemicals and fillers. There’s even a bonus blend of condensed fruits and vegetables like broccoli and spinach.

Another great choice is the food derived Thorne Research Zinc (amazon link), which is in the superbly absorbed zinc picolinate form, rather than the poorly absorbed zinc oxide found in almost all grocery store products.

You also can’t ignore vitamin C, as this study noticed 40% lower levels in acne patients’ bloodstreams compared to healthy people. Specifically, vitamin C works wonders for stress-induced acne, by clearing excessive levels of cortisol from the body.

It’s also phenomenal for reducing old acne scars, being a co-factor in the creation of the collagen proteins responsible for wound healing. Again, supercharging collagen can delay ageing and strengthen the skin overall.

If you want a supplement without any bonus zinc, then this Garden of Life Raw Vitamin C (amazon link) is a perfect food-derived option.

Overall, cannabis is nowhere near as important as basic vitamins and minerals like these. 

 

Conclusion

There you have it. Whether you’re pro cannabis, against cannabis, or just don’t care, the science shows that “wacky baccy” is safe and even beneficial for acne overall. It probably can cause pimples, but only if there’s smoke billowing about everywhere.

In any case, the collagen warping will only damage your acne slightly, and the free radicals of even a marijuana cigarette are dwarfed by those of tobacco. Always remember to vaporise your marijuana, since it’s easily the safest method for acne, preferably with a clean glass vaporiser rather than a plastic one, but any product beats smoking it.

My final word is that there are far bigger acne fish to fry here. Focus on eliminating sugar, processed foods and getting more acne nutrients instead.

Sleeping for an extra hour or two can have miraculous effects on acne. You’re more likely to get acne from worrying about marijuana than from smoking it.

Don’t worry about marijuana unless you’re dead sure of problems from your experiences with it.

NEXT: the ultimate diet for clearing acne permanently

 

Thanks for reading!