It was only a matter of time. With so many people and organizations promoting cannabis as the latest wonder drug, it had to follow that someone would make the effort to look at it as a potential tool for fighting COVID-19. A new study out of Oregon State University has done just that. Moreover, the study’s results look promising.
For the record, the study did not examine medical marijuana or THC as potential weapons in the fight against COVID. So if you are assuming that smoking pot will prevent you from getting the disease, think again. The fact that you regularly use marijuana doesn’t necessarily indicate you won’t pick up coronavirus or develop COVID.
Two Particular Cannabinoids
Cannabis plants naturally contain more than one hundred cannabinoids and terpenes. The two most commonly known cannabinoids are THC and CBD. However, cannabis advocates have recently been giving more attention to CBG as well. It is quickly becoming one of the more popular cannabinoids for health and wellness.
Oregon State University researchers looked specifically at CBD and CBG during their study. However, they did not decarboxylate either one, which is to say they did not remove the carboxylic acid group. So they were working with the non-active forms of cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).
Their main goal was to see if either compound could ward off coronavirus by preventing it from getting into human epithelial cells. It turns out that both can do just that. Researchers say that CBGA and CBDA worked well against the alpha and beta variants of a pseudovirus they used in their study.
Inexpensive and Easily Accessible
If the research is to be believed, people could reduce the risk of coronavirus turning into COVID-19 simply by taking CBGA or CBDA supplements. Moreover, the supplements are inexpensive and easily accessible. People have been safely consuming them for decades.
Both types of supplements are easily available over the counter. They are found across the country at health food stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores. And of course, all sorts of cannabis-derived health supplements are available online.
A Whole New Market
The cannabis market is already pretty robust as-is. But considering the prevalence of coronavirus, and the fact that it is probably never going away, producing new health supplements that can effectively fight off COVID opens a whole new market.
Even in states where medical marijuana is highly restricted – states like Utah, for example – the market for CBGA and CBDA is wide open. Any and all non-marijuana products can be freely purchased without the need for a special medical cannabis card. The same is not true for marijuana and THC-derived medicines.
In Utah, all medical marijuana product must be purchased from a licensed cannabis pharmacy, like Salt Lake City’s Beehive Farmacy. Patients also have to possess valid medical cannabis cards to purchase. But if they want CBGA or CBDA, they can buy it anywhere.
Just the Start
The Oregon State University research is worth looking into further. Subsequent research might either prove or disprove its findings. At any rate, the research is just the start of what is undoubtedly going to be a veritable tsunami of cannabis studies in the coming months and years.
Cannabis is exploding in terms of its popularity as a health and wellness plant. We are constantly hearing all sorts of claims about how the plant’s compounds can improve everything from sleep to anxiety to acne. Yet there is still so much about it we don’t know. If it turns out that the plant’s compounds can prevent COVID, that would be great. So on with the studies!
