Does cannabis help against COVID-19?
Does cannabis help against COVID-19?
A new scientific study makes cannabis the hope against the Corona virus.
A team of scientists from Canada has identified at least 13 strains of Cannabis Sativa that can help prevent and treat COVID-19. The scientists were able to experimentally demonstrate that the cannabis strains grown make it more difficult for the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus to dock onto the tissue cells. This consequently prevents the disease from COVID-19.
The positive effect of cannabis in the fight against viral diseases has been known for some time. Already in previous research conducted since the outbreak of the SARS virus in 2002, specific cannabis terpenes have proven to be effective antiviral substances.
In the discussion forum on the Canadian publication, which has been available online for about a month, the results are hotly debated. Interesting is a comment of the head of research of the study, Professor Igor Kovalchuk. He responds to a critical comment, "We never claimed that CBD is responsible for the reduction in ACE2 protein because we simply don't know. What you are right about is that the effect is probably not due to CBD alone, and yes, future research will include more approaches with a broader spectrum of cannabinoids".*
With this, Professor Kovalchuk underlines on the one hand how little research still knows about the mode of action of cannabis. Yes, it works: but how and why still needs to be researched. Secondly, Kovalchuk implies the importance of the entourage effect. This states that a mixture of plant substances has a higher biological activity than the isolated pure substance itself. It is not the CBD alone that is responsible for the positive effect of hemp. It is rather the complex interaction of the plant's own active ingredients CBD, THC, terpenes and flavonoids.
So does cannabis help against COVID-19? There are many indications that this is the case. However, research still has to show which substances of the cannabis plant are responsible for this.
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* Original comment by Igor Kovalchuk, 25 May 2020: "Thank you for your comments Amanda, I appreciate you took time to read the paper. Few things to get straight. We have never stated that CBD is being responsible for decreasing ACE2 protein, as we simply don't know it. What you are right about is that the effect is likely not due to CBD alone and yes, future research will include more lines, with broader spectrum of cannabinoids."
Link to study: "In Search of Preventative Strategies: Novel Anti-Inflammatory High-CBD Cannabis Sativa Extracts Modulate ACE2 Expression in COVID-19 Gateway Tissues"
