Cannabis may prove to be helpful in the fight against coronavirus, with a new study suggesting that certain strains high in CBD could help the body off the infection.
The report was published on Preprints, an online platform that provides academic research papers for free, and written by six researchers at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.
The study explains that researchers observed 400 Health Canada-approved strains of marijuana and found that 13 of them — particularly Sativa strains high in CBD concentration “can help curtail disease spread and reduce mortality” of the novel coronavirus.
Basically, it down-regulates the protein receptor ACE2, which is targeted by the coronavirus in the mouth, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and elsewhere in the body. The study suggests some cannabis strains were actually able to reduce virus receptor activity by as much as 73 per cent, which to us non-science folk sounds like a pretty decent reduction.
Basically, it means that certain cannabis strains interact with the same receptors COVID-19 would, and therefore using them could reduce your chances of contracting the virus.
“Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and avenue must be considered,” the report read.
“Based on our preliminary data, extracts of novel efficacious C. sativa lines, pending further investigations, may become a useful addition to the treatment of COVID-19, and an excellent GRAS [General Rehabilitation Adherence Scale] adjunct therapy,” it continued.
“They may also be used to develop additional easy-to-use preventative strategies such as mouth wash and throat gargle products that may be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral cavity and may be used both in clinical practice and at-home treatment.”
But before you hit that celebratory blunt, it’s important to note that the study is yet to be peer-reviewed and the process has not been tested on humans.
Rather, researchers conducted the initial study on artificial 3D models that mimic parts of the body that are impacted by COVID-19, like airways and intestinal tissues, so it’s not yet fully known if it would work the same way on real people.
