Summary: Edible hemp products or superfood refers to Cannabis sativa or industrial hemp. In general, hemp is a rich source of functional metabolites, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids. Hemp has been widely used in food products, such as bread, cookies, meatballs, energy bars, cooking oil, snacks, and crackers. Hemp has been used for development of cosmetics and supplements. However, the use of hemp is far below its potential because of major challenges such as non‐cost‐effective extraction and isolation, stability and toxicity of the extracts, and legislation related to the use of the extracts. This narrative review comprehensively analyses major phytochemicals in hemp and hemp extracts, and also discusses the most common challenges in applications of hemp‐derived phytochemicals and hemp extracts in food and pharmaceutical products like stability, toxicity, legal limitations, isolation/extraction and purification. In addition, this review outlines current applications of hemp extracts and proposes future trends for utilising hemp phytochemicals and extracts in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products to increase applications of hemp extracts and their phytochemicals for health benefits.

Melanoma is deadly, physically impairing, and has ongoing treatment deficiencies. Current treatment regimens include surgery, targeted kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy, and combined approaches. Each of these treatments face pitfalls, with diminutive five-year survival in patients with advanced metastatic invasion of lymph and secondary organ tissues. Polyphenolic compounds, including cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids; both natural and synthetic, have emerging evidence of nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmacological potential, including specific anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and palliative utility. Cannabis sativa is a wellspring of medicinal compounds whose direct and adjunctive application may offer considerable relief for melanoma suffers worldwide. This review aims to address the diverse applications of C. sativa’s biocompounds in the scope of melanoma and suggest it as a strong candidate for ongoing pharmacological evaluation.

Melanoma is one of the leading fatal forms of cancer, yet from a treatment perspective, we have minimal control over its reoccurrence and resistance to current pharmacotherapies. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has recently been accepted as a multifaceted homeostatic regulator, influencing various physiological processes across different biological compartments, including the skin. This review presents an overview of the pathophysiology of melanoma, current pharmacotherapy used for treatment, and the challenges associated with the different pharmacological approaches. Furthermore, it highlights the utility of cannabinoids as an additive remedy for melanoma by restoring the balance between downregulated immunomodulatory pathways and elevated inflammatory cytokines during chronic skin conditions as one of the suggested critical approaches in treating this immunogenic tumor.This article is categorized under: Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology