In an interview with two New York-based dermatologists, The Huffington Post uncovered an important aspect of marijuana's effect on the skin.

As it turns out, marijuana's medicinal ingredients are not only useful in treating certain skin conditions, but also offer the potential to make skin look younger. Dr. Bobby Buka and Dr. Ariel Ostad explain that chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

Like red wine, Dr. Buka says moderate marijuana use could be good for the skin. But the key to harnessing these benefits is how you consume marijuana.

"The delivery system is really critical... Even a bong would be preferable (to smoking a joint)."

Indeed, smoking marijuana, like smoking cigarettes, has a negative impact on your skin, potentially countering the plant's anti-aging properties and leading your skin to age faster rather than slower. The reason seems to be that combusting marijuana releases a similar amount of carcinogens as cigarettes do.

While THC may offer some protection from the harmful by-products of smoke, Dr. Buka warns that the net effect of smoking a joint can still be a decrease in collagen production – leading to older - looking skin. He also warns that smoking marijuana can exacerbate skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea.

Vaporizers, which heat marijuana to a lower temperature than joints or bongs, are probably the best way of overcoming these drawbacks. However, bongs are believed to filter at least some of the harmful by-products of smoke, and so may be a better choice for those without a vaporizer.

When it comes to medical use of marijuana, topical preparations are another way of avoiding the potential damage that smoke does to the skin.

On the other hand, Dr. Ostad believes that marijuana could offer other skin benefits that are independent of how you consume it. He explains that marijuana's ability to make you feel better can actually have a positive impact on skin health too.

"Those THC receptors actually can lead to increased production of neurotransmitters that make us feel better, like serotonin."

Dr. Buka adds that just being able to reduce stress can help with certain skin conditions. And in his experience, people who use marijuana are "by and large a mellower group of patients."

Source: HuffingtonPost