A recent scientific study, which tested the effectiveness of cannabis compounds on COVID-19 infection, went viral on the internet. The study claims marijuana holds promise for fighting COVID-19.
In research published in the Journal of Natural Products, scientists from Oregon State University identified two cannabis compounds that can essentially bind to live coronavirus proteins and prevent them from entering human cells and causing infection.
The researchers concluded that the use of these compounds could potentially be complementary to vaccines, and could be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 infection.
"Biologically available and with a long history of safe use by humans, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extract, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2," the study said.
As predicted, the findings caused quite a stir on the internet. Many are also euphoric about the idea that marijuana could help end the pandemic.
Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants https://t.co/iiLw93c21M Raise your hand if you had “weed to the rescue” on your 2022 pandemic bingo card.😏 pic.twitter.com/mhjzqUV0NQ
— Sanho Tree (@SanhoTree) January 11, 2022
The news was so viral that the news about this research even reached the host of the US talk show, "Late Night", Jimmy Kimmel.
"This is going to be interesting. As long as we're listening to the CDC, we should be eating CBD (cannabinoids)," Kimmel joked.
Several other researchers also said the scientific findings were interesting, but that more testing and clinical trials in humans were needed.
Dr. Mikael Sodergren, who heads the medical cannabis research group at Imperial College London, England, said there was no data to prove that cannabis compounds could prevent COVID-19 infection.
"There is no evidence to support that smoking or consuming marijuana products can do the same thing (treat COVID-19)," he said.
In addition, according to Richard van Breemen, the researcher who led the study, the compounds used in laboratory tests are not the same as those we usually see in hemp and CBD products that can be found in stores (in countries where marijuana use is legal).
"CBDA and CBGA are produced by the hemp plant as precursors to CBD and CBG, which are familiar to many consumers. However, they differ in acidity and are not contained in hemp products," Breemen said.
Breeman said, however, his team wanted to continue testing what some call unconventional compounds that could lead to the treatment of COVID-19.
"Our previous study reported the discovery of another compound, one from licorice, which also binds to the spike protein. However, we have not tested that compound, licochalcone A, for activity against live viruses yet. We need new funds to (research) it," he concluded.