Does Cannabis Use Thwart Coronavirus Infection?

Can the key to combat COVID-19 be Marijuana?

Is that possible? Well, for the accurate information, let’s dive deeper into the facts ahead.

Sounds like a cannabis users’ dream? Even the researchers from Oregon State University are working on certain hemp compounds that help to prevent this virus. Forbes mentioned CBD is helpful for Covid-19.

The cannabis compounds abided the virus which causes COVID-19 from influencing healthy human cells, according to the experiment done in the laboratory and which also got published in the journal of Nature Products.

So, the two compounds that are majorly found in hemp are cannabigerol acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA. These got identified in the chemical screening effort in the research done by Oregon State University. In this study, they are known to raise the protein level found on the virus and block a step of the pathogen used to infect people. This way, the researchers here tested the compounds’ effects against alpha and beta variants of the virus in the laboratory. This explains having the potential to fight coronavirus. This study hadn’t included injecting supplements to the people or any comparison among the infection rates who use the compounds and who don’t.

Stopping the virus’ capability to make a Replica

According to van Breemen, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has RNA strands encoding four primary structural proteins. These are spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid and 16 nonstructural proteins and other “accessory” proteins.

He further explained that if we pick any part of the infection and the replication cycle: it can become the potential target for the antiviral intervention. So, what is the critical step in the cycle? The spike of the protein’s receptor combined domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2. It implies the inhibitors of the entry cells. They merge with the spiking proteins so that the proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is enough on the outer membrane of the endothelial cells in the lungs and organs. Such as, the acids from hemp can be easily used to prevent SARS-Cov-2 infection and also narrow the infections pipeline by abiding virus particles from infecting the human cells.

Licorice compound- Next possible COVID weapon?

He continued while enforcing upon the fact that the major primary concern in the pandemic is its spread in terms of variants, mainly B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 are the most concerning ones. These variants can steer clear of the antibodies against the early lineage SARS-CoV-2. This raises the concern of the vaccination strategies that rely on the early lineage spike protein being an antigen.

Here comes the CBDA and CBGA, which are much more effective against the two variants we mostly consider. It may happen that this trend can further exceed and lessens the influence of existing and future variants.

Infact, van Breeman said in his statement that there is always the possibility of the arrival of new COVID variants, and he believes that the powerful and unique combination of the CBDA/CBGA treatment can make humans survive better against the attack of SARS-CoV-2.

He concludes this mystery by stating that the earliest research was reported on discovering the other compound, from licorice which binds to the spike protein. However, they haven’t tested that compound licochalcone A for its activity against the live virus. They are definitely looking it further.

Coronavirus Vaccination won’t get replaced in any situation

Thinking of swapping a jab with a joint? No way!

An Oregon study highlighted by Chris Roberts at Forbes explains that the specific cannabis-derived preparations if given in the right amount, can help people fight off COVID-19. It is something exciting stuff that we can rely upon.

He further added by saying that you just can’t accept in the way saying that smoking cannabis will protect you from the coronavirus or the phrase that ‘weed stops Covid.’ Infact, he highlighted some of the other reasons with Dr. Mikael Sodergren, the head of the Imperial College London’s medical cannabis research group, explaining that the research is still pending the confirmation in animal models and testing on humans in clinical trials.

So, this study gives a glimpse about cases where the support goes to the smoking or ingestion of cannabis products. Overall, when cannabis products can thwart the coronavirus infection, why suppress it anymore?

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Stay safe and have weed at the comfort of your home!