Cannabis and COVID-19: Can Cannabis Oil and Other Preparations Alleviate COVID-19 Symptoms?

“The marijuana paradox – although associated with increased appetite and calorie consumption, regular use of cannabis, protects against diabetes and obesity. How it manages to do so, however, is still anybody’s guess!” – The Fitness Doc

As 2020 starts winding down, it is realistic to state that this year’s defining feature is the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its associated illness, COVID-19. This novel coronavirus was first noticed at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China, and it has since rampaged its way, and continues to sow devastation and havoc, across the globe. Today’s reported numbers indicate that there are about 62. 790 million infected people, with 1.46 million deaths across the world.

This virus is extremely contagious and can mutate along regional geographic lines. Succinctly stated, to the layman, it seems to behave like an Artificial Intelligence Neural Network where it learns new behaviours or mutates as soon as it loses its contagious nature.

And while researchers and scientists rush to find an effective vaccine, the only way to control and prevent the virus from spreading is by implementing social distancing or social isolation measures. In other words, people have to stay away from each other. Most countries across the globe have implemented varying degrees of lockdown measures, shutting down all non-essential business, resulting in the loss of about $8 trillion (USD) to the global economy and driving the world into the worst recession since the 1930s Great Depression.

Why are these facts relevant to cannabis and growing high-CBD-based cannabis plants for the biomedical industry? A description of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic seems irrelevant to this topic.

Not at all. It is essential to set the scene, as it were, to demonstrate the impact the coronavirus pandemic has on the world’s citizens. And, without an effective vaccine, there seems to be no end to this pandemic.

 

CBD-based preparations and their impact on treating COVID-19

The lasting effects of COVID-19 on the human body is not yet 100% clear. Scientists are “still learning about the long-term impact of the virus and how it damages the human body.” And the latest research indicates that COVID-19 is capable of “attacking just about every system in the human body, damaging the lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, brain, nervous system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract.”

Consequently, it is necessary to investigate treatments that will alleviate the COVID-19 symptoms, reducing the severe effects of contracting the virus will have on the human body.

Thus, the question that begs is whether naturopathic preparations such as those manufactured using CBD oil effectively reduce the COVID-19 symptoms?

Let’s attempt to answer this question by looking at the following points.

An article published on the website, labmanager.com, notes that “researchers around the world are exploring how cannabis could treat or prevent COVID-19, but the results are too early to be definitive.” The good news is that early research results are showing some promise.

And unfortunately, because of the restrictions on the use of cannabis-based compounds like CBD oils, creams, and edibles as naturopathic remedies, there are not enough research studies currently conducted to provide a quick answer to this question. As with all research, deriving meaningful results takes time.

It is also vital to note that many people who use medical cannabis to reduce the symptoms of many diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other auto-immune disorders have compromised immunities. Therefore, they are at increased risk of contracting the virus, irrespective of whether they use cannabis-based products or not.

Looking at the impact of cannabis use in relation to COVID-19 by these people is both and opportunity; a risk because they cannot risk contracting the virus, and an opportunity because, if they do get COVID-19, it is possible to study the effects of cannabis use on immunocompromised individuals who have the coronavirus. However, it is not wise for this cohort of people to participate in a controlled trial or research study where they are intentionally exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The good news is that a partnership between Canadian cannabis research companies and the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada have found that “Cannabis sativa extracts could be used in treatments to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”

Note: This results of this study have only been submitted for publication and has not yet been peer-reviewed. However, it is worth noting the this study found that these cannabis sativa extracts “have an effect on the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2, proteins in human cells that research has shown to be an entry point for the virus.”

If this study’s results receive a positive response when it is peer-reviewed, it opens the door for additional research. And it might ultimately result in the use of cannabis Sativa extracts as a mechanism to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from gaining traction in the human body and treat and reduce the symptoms of COVID-19.

Finally, this information offers hope for a world that is drowning in SARS-CoV-2 hopelessness.

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