New Studies Show Cannabis Compound CBD May Help Fight COVID-19

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural substance found in cannabis! It is known around the marijuana community for its “non-psychoactive” properties. That way, consumers get all the benefits of enjoying their cannabis product without the associated “high”! People use CBD as a therapeutic against various conditions, whether physical or mental.

There is growing evidence that CBD, and the metabolite it is broken down to after digestion (7-OH-CBD), block SARS-CoV-2 replication in certain parts of the body. CBD could potentially help cells respond to a virus in a better way if given in the right dose! These studies show amazing promise to those wanting another way to fight COVID-19.

CBD is a Research Avenue You Could Get Behind!

CBD oil is the second most prevalent active ingredient of cannabis. Therapies involving cannabis have been the treatment of last resort for some pain and inflammation. The most significant research that supports CBD oil is for those who experience seizures. Scientists believe CBD oil helps suppress seizures by slowing down messages sent to the brain.

Currently, the transformation of cannabinoids from herbal preparations into prescription drugs is accelerating. There is growing research that links CBD and cannabinoid treatment for pain and inflammation. You will find that there’s the growing suggestion that it works on a range of other conditions such as:

• Sleep disorders
• Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Anorexia
• Schizophrenia

The compound’s ability to dissolve in fats and lipids (a major component of our body’s cells) makes it a great candidate for absorption. That means you can find many different ways to deliver CBD to the body!

Science is Pointing to CBD to Help Fight COVID-19

There is an increasing belief that CBD might help block infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. If the findings hold up, most of the science points towards the CBD approved by your country’s Drug Administration and not the ones you can find at any regular cannabis store. Also, it shouldn’t be a be-all-end-all method against COVID-19. Vaccination, high-quality masks, and other measures recommended by health experts are still superior.

The results of the studies are starting to show a strong case where they can move onto clinical trials – we’ll get to that later!

Small CBD Tests Continue to be Conducted Against COVID-19

Scientists and researchers apply different methods and modes of experimentation to find their results. They started using it on monkey kidney cells before moving it to mice in one particular case. Their goal was to trigger the host cell’s “stress response.” The stress response is when a cell senses an invading pathogen (a foreign substance that can cause disease) and reacts to fight against it. The results are truly spectacular.

Researchers found that CBD is very effective at triggering the stress response. Scientists injected CBD into human lung cells and found that they were much better at fighting COVID-19 better than untreated cells. They observed that the cells could “[act] at least up to 15 hours after infection,” which suggests that it might be effective at an early stage following infection. Though these promising results proved fascinating, they needed to go one step further.

They moved on to living hosts (mice) and tested the CBD effects. They continued their testing over five days and, again, found amazing results. Mice with a high dose of CBD showed a viral load (amount of virus that can be detected) 40 times lower than untreated mice! Their results showed that lab-infected mice became ill and lost weight, while the CBD-treated mice showed no symptoms.

Why CBD?

CBD receptors in the body are found throughout the brain and various body parts. Another area where more receptors are present is in immune cells and nervous tissues (cells of the nervous system). There are findings that the oral route (through the mouth) affects your body’s system directly, which shows tremendous promise. Things like CBD oil allow for more convenient dosing than juices, teas, or food. There are some chemicals that the body cannot directly absorb from ingestion, so there must be other modes of transportation. Like the ones found in the findings above, inhalation is another alternative that people can take. Besides direct injection of CBD into the bloodstream, inhalation is the fastest!

CBD activates a variety of protective processes in infected cells. In other words, it maintains the function of the cell even when stressed. It helps trigger the production of compounds that act as the first line of defence against foreign substances, in this case, COVID-19. There are findings that these immune responses are stronger in cells treated with CBD.

What’s the CBD Caveat?

Unfortunately, only CBD alone demonstrates these results. The combination of CBD and THC, like in most recreational cases of smoking marijuana, reduce CBD effects. Smoking and vaping won’t protect you but might put you at more risk. Also, smoking and vaping as a delivery system of CBD doesn’t guarantee effectiveness. People have different body types that might make it harder to absorb them. The major thing is that you cannot abuse it, just like any drug. Doing so would just worsen the situation, or it won’t even give you the desired effect.

Discover CBD Isolate

That’s why CBD isolates would probably be a much better alternative. CBD isolate is a good option for those who would like to try CBD but don’t want to or cannot ingest THC, an active ingredient in cannabis. CBD isolate has plenty of potential effects:

• Boosting the immune system
• Fighting inflammation
• Recovery or regeneration of the nervous system
• Relieving pain

CBD isolate provides an alternative to full-spectrum CBD products. Be sure to buy CBD isolate from a reputable company and carefully read the label to ensure it’s free from THC, chemicals, and impurities!

Researchers are Exploring the Possibility of a CBD Clinical Trial

Scientists and researchers want to move more into human clinical trials. That way, they can fully monitor and see CBD effects on humans. The encouraging sign is the growing development of preclinical data and studies that they can bring up to governments and sponsors. Also, since CBD is widely used to treat seizures, government agencies like the FDA already know its impacts on humans.

Approval will be challenging because it requires plenty of funding and large sample size (number of participants in a study). The study would need to be comparable to studies conducted for vaccinations. Hopefully, with the rise in preclinical studies, the use of CBD in everyday culture, and what we know about this excellent chemical, we will find a way to get to the correct conclusion. We know for sure that we can put our faith in the researchers to get approval and start testing!

CBD is an excellent natural remedy used for many common ailments. As it gains momentum in the health and wellness world, we will find more about its profound potential. While we sit here wondering when that will happen, sit down, smoke a joint, and let go of your worries!