While Facebook pages (and U.S. press conferences) are full of home remedies believed to potentially combat the coronavirus, researchers in Canada are currently exploring the possible uses of cannabis against the virus. For example, a team of scientists believes that certain types of cannabis could help prevent and treat coronavirus infections.
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Blocking entry points
Researchers at the University of Lethbridge said that a study in April identified at least 13 cannabis plants with high CBD content that appeared to influence the ACE2 pathways the virus uses to gain access to the body.“We were completely baffled at first, and then we were very happy,” one of the researchers, Olga Kovalchuk, told CTV News. The results, published in the online journal Preprints, indicated that hemp extracts with high CBD content may help block proteins that provide COVID-19 with a “gateway” to enter host cells.
Kovalchuk’s husband, Igor, suggested that cannabis could reduce the virus’s entry points by 70 percent. “That’s why you have a better chance of fighting it,” he told CTV. “Our work could have a huge impact—there aren’t many drugs that can reduce infection by 70 to 80 percent,” he told the Calgary Herald.
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Cannabis mouthwash
The study emphasized that more research was needed and offered hope that if it is proven to modulate the enzyme, it “could be a plausible strategy for reducing susceptibility to disease” and “could be a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy.” According to the researchers, the plant could even potentially be used to “develop easy-to-use preventive treatments in the form of mouthwashes and throat gargles,” thereby reducing viral entry through the mouth.
But before you rush straight to the coffee shop and fire up your bong, we also have some less encouraging news. "The most important thing is that not every cannabis strain you pick up at the store can do this," Olga told CTV, noting that the study suggested only a handful of more than 800 sativa strains appeared to help. They all contain high doses of CBD, but very little THC—the component that gets you so high or stoned.
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More research needed
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was conducted in collaboration with Pathway Rx, a cannabis therapy research firm, and Swysh Inc, a cannabinoid-based research company. “Although our most effective extracts require further large-scale validation, our study is crucial for the future analysis of the effects of medical cannabis on COVID-19,” the study states. “Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and possibility must be considered.”
