Researchers Advocate CBD Clinical Trials to Prevent COVID-19 Based on Encouraging Evidence

The continuous spread and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for new treatments. Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Chicago have discovered evidence that cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis plant component, can reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells and mice.

According to the researchers, CBD and its metabolite 7-OH-CBD, but not THC or other cannabinoids examined, effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells. CBD inhibits viral gene expression and reverses many of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on host gene transcription upon viral entrance.

Moreover, this study which was published on January 20, 2022, in Science Advances also found that CBD (100 mg/ml oral solution per medical records) had a substantial negative correlation with positive SARS-CoV-2 testing in a nationwide sample of medical records from individuals taking the FDA-approved medicine for treating epilepsy.

The researchers now believe that conclusive clinical studies should be conducted to see if CBD may be utilized as prophylactic or early therapy for COVID-19. They do warn, however, that the COVID-blocking properties of CBD may only be obtained through a high purity, precisely formulated dosage consumed in certain settings. The findings of the study do not imply that consuming commercially available products containing CBD additives of varying potency and quality can prevent COVID-19.

According to Dr Oludare Odumosu, CEO of Zelira Therapeutics:

"This National Institute of Health funded study looks at the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) infection by CBD treatment in cellular and mice models. The results suggest that CBD specifically inhibits the virus's capacity to replicate in the cell after infecting the cells when the cells are treated with CBD. Taken together, this may open the possibility to explore CBD as an early preventive agent in therapeutic options to reduce the impact of virus infection, but more work is needed at this point. The authors want the readers to note that this study was conducted in a laboratory setting where experimental cells were infected with a virus and then inoculated with CBD. This may not translate at this time to human models. Hence, they caution against the interpretation of this study as support for consumption of CBD formulations. "

Scientists have been exploring novel therapeutics for patients infected with the coronavirus and evolving strains, particularly those who do not have access to vaccines, as the pandemic spreads across the country and around the world and as breakthrough infections become more prevalent. Therefore, this study could not have come at a better time, and it has gotten the whole medical industry intrigued.

As Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare, puts it:

"The peer-review study showing that CBD can protect against COVID-19 is further evidence that cannabis is medicine. As more scientific evidence is revealed through research, thousands of patients that have used cannabis as medicine will begin to feel validated by their healthcare benefits from cannabis assisting them with their ailments and medical conditions. This is a huge step for healthcare advocates that continue to support the legalization of the medicine, and a step closer to healing or better health."

There Is More Evidence Pointing to the Efficacy of Cannabis-Based Compounds in Treating COVID-19

This research from the University of Chicago comes right on the heels of yet another interesting study where scholars based in Oregon State University utilized a screening technique to look for chemical compounds with certain properties that might make them good medications for treating or preventing Covid-19 infection. They uncovered two compounds, that is, CBGA and CBDA. These compounds showed the appropriate molecular structure to indicate that they may prevent the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from connecting to and unlocking a cell, infecting it and converting it into a viral factory.

CBGA and CBDA were then evaluated on human epithelial cells in a petri dish – these cells are the ones that line the walls of bodily tissues such as the lungs. Both substances appeared to impair the capacity of the spike protein to attach to epithelial cells in human cell replicas. This is similar to the workings of monoclonal antibodies, a recognized therapy for Covid-19 infections. The results held true for both the coronavirus's alpha and beta variants. Other variations were not investigated by the scientists.

These two recent studies go on to show the massive potential that the compounds found in the cannabis plant have in the prevention as well as treatment of COVID-19.

Too Early to Tell

It is important to note that the Oregon State University study also provides no indication that smoking cannabis or ingesting hemp-derived products such as CBD gummies can protect or prevent infection with Covid-19.

According to the lead researcher, Richard van Breemen, a pharmacologist and professor at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University:

"CBDA and CBGA are produced by the hemp plant as precursors to CBD and CBG, which are familiar to many consumers. However, they are different from the acids and are not contained in hemp products."

According to the findings in both studies, it is unlikely that going to your corner bakery to get some CBD muffins or gummy bears will have any effects when it comes to treating or reducing the effects of COVID-19. Commercially available CBD may be of high purity, but the quality is too inconsistent to expect regular results. It is also difficult to find an oral CBD solution that can be absorbed without the special formulation approved by the FDA.

Lastly, CBD is not well studied in certain populations, such as pregnant women and should, therefore, only be used under the supervision of a qualified physician and with caution. Nonetheless, we are living in extremely interesting times, and we can all but wait to see if CBD and other cannabis-based compounds can help in the control of viral diseases such as COVID-19.