{"id":2998,"date":"2020-09-23T10:20:16","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T10:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.priorclave.com\/en-us\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2020-09-02T10:40:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T10:40:45","slug":"cannabis-research-for-treating-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.priorclave.com\/en-us\/2020\/09\/23\/cannabis-research-for-treating-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis Research: Cannabis for Treating Coronavirus?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the novel coronavirus continues to upend our days. There’s little hope of \u201cgetting back to normal\u201d until we have a COVID vaccine or suitable treatments. Medical researchers, understandably, are eager to look into new ways that old substances might help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

COVID and Anti-Inflammatories<\/span><\/h2>\n


\"novel<\/p>\n

Cannabis enthusiasts have evangelized about the purported health benefits of their favorite \u201cherb\u201d for years. In general, medical and legal professionals tend to dismiss that zeal as wishful thinking. But changes in regulation of cannabis in the last several years have permitted for the expansion of scientific research into the possible medical benefits. This has yielded some interesting (if not yet decisive) results.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to improve coronavirus outcomes. In June 2020, medical researchers at University of Oxford determined that a common steroid,<\/span> Dexamethasone, can be effective at improving outcomes<\/span><\/a> for COVID patients. To date, the strongest evidence for general medical use of Cannabinoids is in<\/span> preventing and reducing inflammation<\/span><\/a>. Given its anti-inflammatory properties, <\/span>cannabis industry researchers<\/span><\/a> have recently suggested that cannabis products could similarly help fight coronavirus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cannabis Research to Prevent and Treat Coronavirus\u2014<\/span><\/h2>\n

Not surprisingly, given the enormity of the COVID crisis\u2014and the financial incentives of an expanding cannabis industry\u2014many are eager to bring its purported benefits to market.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite economic incentives, this isn\u2019t just wishful thinking (see how we resisted saying \u201cpipe dream\u201d?)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n


\"cannabis<\/p>\n

Researchers have explored using cannabis in <\/span>anti-COVID strategies before<\/span><\/a>: in 2007, Chinese researchers found that specific chemicals contained in cannabis had strong benefits in treating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS-CoV, the version of the coronavirus responsible for the 2003 outbreak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A more recent study by Canadian cannabis industry researchers Olga and Igor Kovalchuck claims to have found that some sativa strain(s) could help. They found that certain extracts appeared to reduce ACE2 gene expression. This prevents the virus from entering the body.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014But (Way) More Research is Needed\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The research is incomplete and, according to researchers<\/span> \u201c…extracts require further large-scale validation\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/a>. Moreover,<\/span> some have pointed to its (not insignificant) problems<\/span><\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n