The internet was interested in a study that found compounds in cannabis could stop the coronaviruses from infecting cells. The findings are worth following up on, but the researchers are very clear that smoking or consuming cannabis isn't going to make someone covid-proof.
Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University and Oregon State University conducted the study. They were looking for chemicals in plants that could bind to the spike protein of the coronaviruses and prevent it from entering our cells.
The team identified two compounds from the plant, cannabidiolic acid and CBGA. They ran more tests in the lab and found that both cannabinoids seemed to prevent the coronaviruses from entering human cells. The compounds worked equally well against the Alpha andBeta versions of the coronaviruses.
The authors of a paper published Tuesday in the Journal of Natural Products said that cannabinoids isolated from or in hemp extracts have the potential to prevent and treat infections.
Finding a way to stop the coronaviruses for a short time is a valuable goal, and one that many other scientists are working on. These treatments could be used to protect people who are immunocompromised during an active outbreak. This research should be pursued further.
Experiments in a petri dish are just the beginning of the research process. There are many promising drugs and vaccines that fail to show results in animal or human testing. Drugs like hydroxychloroquine seem to be effective at stopping the coronaviruses in the lab, but not in real life patients. We should temper our expectations for any experimental drug, even if CBGA and CBDA fail.
Even if these compounds worked against covid-19, there is no chance you would get their benefits from smoking, eating or drinking. CBGA andCBDA are the first two cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis that people take recreationally or medically. The cannabinoids didn't show the same effect in the tests. If you want to get a protective boost, you have to use extracts that don't get you high. It is not clear how you would maintain a high enough level of those compounds in your respiratory tract to have an effect in the lab.
The team found a cannabinoid that might bind to the virus, and that cannabinoid is called THCA-A. The team didn't have enough of the drug to test how well it would work against the virus. Don't get your hopes too high there. The way we get THC in the first place is by heating and drying fresh cannabis leaves. The team found no evidence that the drug could be used to fight the coronaviruses.
The fact that the researchers weren't able to keep studying THCA-A is one of the reasons why the federal government's stance on cannabis is counter-productive. Although weed is good for a lot of things, it is not a cure for diseases.
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