Hemp Compounds Prevent COVID, According to Study
A new study from Oregon State University seems to show that two hemp compounds prevent COVID. The peer-reviewed Journal of Natural Products published “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants” on January 10, 2022.
The research indicates that two hemp compounds, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), attach to the virus’ spike protein. This prevents the virus from entering cells and causing infection. This is the same way the current COVID vaccine works.
“Orally bio-available and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by (COVID),” the researchers wrote.
Lead researcher Richard van Breemen said that their research shows it also works against the Alpha and Beta variants, known before as the UK and South African variants.
Perhaps because it was a US study where cannabis research requires US Drug and Enforcement Agency (DEA) approval, the researchers stressed that only hemp compounds prevent COVID.
“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in (cannabis), and have a good safety profile in humans.”
If Hemp Compounds Prevent COVID, Are There Treatments Soon? – LPC
Treatments and vaccines are not likely to come soon. For one thing, the results of this one research study would have to be replicated elsewhere to prove validity. Then, someone would have to come up with a delivery method.
Perhaps the most glaring item missing from the research is dosage. There is no indication of how much CBGA and/or CBDA someone would have to take to prevent COVID, and how much to take to treat COVID. It’s possible that the doses are too high to be practical.
And although the hemp compounds prevent COVID in a similar way to current vaccines, there is a key difference. The current vaccine builds up antibodies that are always in the bloodstream (though they disappear over time, hence the need for boosters). That wouldn’t be the case for CBGA or CBDA. So timing would be an important factor as well.
For that reason, it’s more likely the hemp compounds could be used as a treatment than a vaccine.
Even if a real-life cannabis-based treatment or vaccine doesn’t pan out, it’s interesting to find that hemp compounds prevent COVID – and how they do it. Hemp and cannabis have a long history with humans dating back thousands of years. Trace amounts of cannabis were found in an ancient Jewish temple in Israel. Medical use of cannabis in China dates back even further.
Doctors in Canada and around the world want more cannabis research into the benefits and even more importantly the risks of cannabis. Research in Canada announced just over a year ago was also investigating CBD as a possible COVID treatment. But we’ll probably have to wait a while before any cannabis-based COVID medications come out.
Read the Original Story on the Forbes Website
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