New research suggests very pure CBD may help stop COVID from replicating.
Only weeks after another study went viral because the world thought they could smoke joints to kick the spicy cough, more research has found that the more friendly cannabinoid, CBD could prevent COVID-19.
The study published in Science Advances on January 20, 2022, showed a negative association with positive COVID tests in a sample of patients taking CBD for epilepsy.
A team of researchers from the University of Chicago found evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) can inhibit infection from COVID-19.
The researchers actually started their work because they thought CBD may only help slow down the second phase of COVID, involving the immune system. They thought because the cannabanoid has anti-inflammatory effects, it could stop patients from getting sick.
The results were a little bit of a shock.
The lead author of the study, Professor Marsha Rosner, said: “Surprisingly, it directly inhibited viral replication in lung cells.”
“We just wanted to know if CBD would affect the immune system,” Rosner said. “No one in their right mind would have ever thought that it blocked viral replication, but that’s what it did.”
Basically, COVID works the same as other viruses in that it hijacks a host’s gene expression to create copies of itself and its viral proteins.
The new data showed that high concentrates of CBD prevented viral replication.
“These results provide major support for a clinical trial of CBD in humans,” Rosner said.
The researchers wanted to highlight that these results occurred due to the incredible pure efficacy of the CBD used in the trial.
We don’t have a lot of options to buy CBD in Australia anyway but for those who do, you’re not going to get the same results from a few cheeky gummies at your local cannabis cafe.
