I have tended, throughout my life, to subscribe to the view that everything bad for you could somehow be good for you. I was thoroughly vindicated by the discovery that red wine prevents cancer, heart disease and wrinkles. Like me, you may be reluctant to accept that resveterol, the active that is responsible for these good things, is much more abundant in peanuts than red wine. Anyhow, I have now found out that cannabis is good for your skin. (Not in spliff form- I just couldn't resist the picture).

Here's the science: Researchers in Germany, the UK and Hungary say that marijuana's active ingredient, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the stuff that gives you a high), is very similar to a substance produced naturally in humans. Do you think that's why some people appear stoned all the time even though you know that they have never imbibed?

These 'cannabinoids' are essential for healthy skin. The scientists' findings will be published later this year in the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Essentially, they have discovered that cannabinoids are responsible for lipid production and, therefore, for regulating conditions such as dry skin or acne. "Our preclinical data encourage one to explore whether
endocannabinoid system-acting agents can be exploited in the management
of common skin disorders," said Tamás Biró, a scientist on the team. "It is also suggested that these agents can be efficiently applied locally to the skin in the form of a cream."

So far, I've only found one product with cannabis. It is by The Balm. Some, such as The Body Shop, are rather more coy and list hemp (which is marijuana by another name).