The cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) “is showing promising results for the treatment of COVID-19”, according to a new study.
Photo: CDC.gov
Published in the journal Life, the study was conducted by researchers at the Universidad Santo Tomas and the Universidad de La Frontera, both in Chile, as well as the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil.
“Cannabinoids, especially CBD, appear to be promising in the treatment of COVID-19, as an adjuvant of current antiviral drugs, reducing lung inflammation by decreasing chemokines and cytokines secreted by the cells of the immune system or mediating in the CNS reducing morbidity as fear, anxiety, stress, sleep disorders”, states the study’s abstract. “However, more research and clinical studies are necessary, especially to establish the effects of their long-term use.”
The study states that in “many countries are allowing the use of medical cannabis and this plant, which has been used since ancient times, could be a natural therapeutic alternative for COVID-19 infected patients, but there is still a long way to go for its acceptance and use in routine clinical practice.”
As noted by the study, cannabis is characterized by the production of special types of natural products called phytocannabinoids that are synthesized exclusively by this genus. Phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids are chemically different, but both pharmacologically modulate CB1, CB2, GRP55, GRP119 and TRPV1 receptor activities, involving activities such as “memory, sleep, mood, appetite and motor regulation, pain sensation, neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and apoptosis.” Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are phytocannabinoids “with greater pharmacological potential, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and anticonvulsant activities.”
According to the study, “Cannabidiol is showing promising results for the treatment of COVID-19, due to its capability of acting on the unleashed cytokine storm, on the proteins necessary for both virus entry and replication and on the neurological consequences of patients who have been infected by the virus.”
The full text of this study can be found by clicking here, and the full abstract can be found below.
Abstract
Cannabis sativa is one of the first medicinal plants used by humans. Its medical use remains controversial because it is a psychotropic drug whose use has been banned. Recently, however, some countries have approved its use, including for recreational and medical purposes, and have allowed the scientific study of its compounds. Cannabis is characterized by the production of special types of natural products called phytocannabinoids that are synthesized exclusively by this genus. Phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids are chemically different, but both pharmacologically modulate CB1, CB2, GRP55, GRP119 and TRPV1 receptor activities, involving activities such as memory, sleep, mood, appetite and motor regulation, pain sensation, neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and apoptosis. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are phytocannabinoids with greater pharmacological potential, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and anticonvulsant activities. Cannabidiol is showing promising results for the treatment of COVID-19, due to its capability of acting on the unleashed cytokine storm, on the proteins necessary for both virus entry and replication and on the neurological consequences of patients who have been infected by the virus. Here, we summarize the latest knowledge regarding the advantages of using cannabinoids in the treatment of COVID-19.
