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Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) are present on epidermal keratinocytes. These receptors are activated by the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana, and by endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids). Researchers noted that knockout mice lacking CB1 and CB2 developed dermatitis around their ear tags, which were made mostly of nickel. The mice could not bind molecules of endocannabinoids that normally suppress reactions, and the researchers theorized that cannabis might prevent or ameliorate allergic contact dermatitis.
The investigators found increased reactions to the topical sensitizer 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) in the knockout mice compared with normal mice. Normal mice given cannabi…