Could the Viral Properties of Cannabis be Effective against the Coronavirus?
The world truly has been shaken by the outbreak of the Corona Virus just a few weeks ago. Officially the virus is now named the COVID-19 virus. Many people panic about a global pandemic. More than 65 000 have now been infected all around the world. This caused travel plans to be canceled and travel and trade restrictions have been put into place. When this article was written, the death toll stood at 1,486 and it was still rising. Most of these occurred in mainland China. Frantically, scientists are trying to identify the cause and find a cure.
Because of the uncertainty of how to treat the virus, many are looking at anti-viral herbal treatments to protect them against infection. Some using cannabis for medicinal purposes also asks questions due to the fact that Cannabis has anti-viral properties. There was also a sudden peak in internet searching if cannabis can kill the virus after a meme posted on Twitter by filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. He said that cannabis should be made legal in India again, as it is a magic plant that can solve a lot of the world´s problems.
Agnihotri started to circulate a screengrab fake news bulletin where a claim was made that scientists discovered that cannabis successfully treated coronavirus infections. Unfortunately, his claims, that surfaced on many different social media platforms, were revealed as a fabricated lie. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that no specific medication is yet currently available to treat the virus.
Even though Agnihotri’s claim was unfounded, it did emphasize the fact that awareness for cannabis as a medical option is globally growing. Cannabis might be the next weapon against superbugs.
Could Cannabis be Included as a Cure?
This is not such a weird question to ask as cannabis treats many viral infections. But when it comes to the coronavirus, there are rumors of successful treatments for the virus. A lot of promising news comes from Zhejiang University, but there is no confirmation yet. Many nations are cooperatively working on a vaccine.
At the moment there are four vaccines in development with two of them going into possible human trials in the next 3 or 4 months. Unfortunately, it takes anything from 12 to 18 months to become available for use.
Besides, the WHO is looking in the details of 80 different treatment trails. The scope is from HIV medication to Ebola treatment, and it also includes anti-viral herbs used in ancient Chinese medicine. The question is if it includes Cannabis?
It is very important to clarify that there is no claim that cannabis can cure the coronavirus. Even the top minds of scientific researches are having a hard time identifying and understanding the virus. It is also not claimed that using cannabis will protect you against the virus. But cannabis patients that had success in their experience with cannabis for their own problems, are asking this question rightfully so. Cannabis has many potent anti-microbial qualities.
Cannabis can Fight Superbugs
At the beginning of 2020, scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, discovered further that cannabis can wipe out antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Researchers screened 5 unique cannabis compounds for potential antibiotic properties. Cannabigerol (CBG) was finally identified to have a specifically robust profile to fight off methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a very common hospital superbug responsible for many deaths every year.
Interestingly, CBG is also able to eliminate the persister cells responsible for repeat infections. It is also a potent cleanser for the hard-to-remove biofilm that typically builds up on a patient’s skin as a result of the infection.
The anti-viral properties of Cannabis
The coronavirus attacks the respiratory system. A lot of research with regards to cannabis has been done on the benefits of reducing the symptoms of the disease rather than changing the course of a viral infection. Studies indicate the effect of CBD on Hepatitis viruses. So far, the results show promising outcomes in limiting the replication of the Hepatitis C virus, but it doesn´t have the same impact on the B variety. More studies with regards to CBD are done to understand the effect on Hepatitis and other viral infections.
When it comes to HIV/AIDS patients, cannabis has a long history of alleviating side effects of anti-retroviral therapy. It is found that THC reduced viral loads in HIV/AIDS patients. Studies are on its way to determine if HIV treatment can treat the coronavirus.
Cannabis and Respiratory Infections
The coronavirus is a type of virus that attacks the lungs. It is very similar to seasonal flu attacks. The question is if cannabis should be used with a viral respiratory infection? Even though cannabis is a potent anti-viral herb, smoking might not be the best way of consumption. Smoking brings unwanted particular matter into the lungs that could slow healing down. A cannabis inhaler or sublingual treatments would be more beneficial.
Final Thoughts
There are no concrete facts that cannabis can eliminate the coronavirus, but with its anti-viral effects, it could be effective in treating the symptoms. Only further studies would reveal the role cannabis could play in this type of virus.
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