CBD and Covid-19 virus
New Study Finds Cannabis May Help Covid-19 Infection and Recovery.
Promising new findings have recently been published in Forbes magazine about a study finding that cannabis compounds prevent infection by the Covid-19 virus.
Earlier the results of breakthrough research from the University of Oregon on the hemp plant and Covid-19 was published, surmising that cannabis compounds could prevent infection. A report on the study stated that “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants”.
It is important to clarify that this does not mean that all and any hemp or CBD product will prevent or cure the infection by Covid-19, but it is exciting to learn more about the potential role in the future that cannabinoids could play in fighting and managing the virus.
So let’s break it down, how could cannabinoids prevent infection by Covid-19?
To give a shorter answer, this study found that “compounds in cannabis can prevent infection from the virus that causes Covid-19 by blocking its entry into cells”. But what does this mean exactly? Well, two cannabinoids, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 which is the virus that causes Covid-19. This binding could mean that “the compounds can prevent the virus from entering cells and causing infection, potentially offering new avenues to prevent and treat the disease.”
Another element of this research which is super promising is that “CBDA and CBGA blocked the action of emerging variants of the virus that causes Covid-19”. Two years into this pandemic one of the chief concerns that scientists are battling with is the extent to which the virus can mutate and create new variants which the antibodies in our systems do not recognise and cannot fight. If these cannabinoids can block the infection of emerging variants this would be extremely significant as we move forward.
These findings are in their early days, and while we wish to say our hemp and CBD products will not protect you from Covid-19, we are invested and excited to see where this research will take us next and what else we can learn about the powers of the hemp plant.
While this is extremely important and promising research it’s crucial that we stay aware of what means can and can’t protect us from Covid-19. While these cannabinoids will be detectable in consumer-ready hemp and CBD products, the amount will be extremely low and cannot be taken as a responsible means of prevention or cure for Covid-19. Additionally, this was an in-vitro study - meaning it took place in a controlled environment such as a test tube or a petri dish, and not in any humans or animals.
This research was carried out in the University of Oregan led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center.
For more, you can read the published research paper "Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants”.
