Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Medicine

Study Finds Cannabinoids Prevent COVID-19 Infection (forbes.com) 280

MachineShedFred shares a report from Forbes: Compounds in cannabis can prevent infection from the virus that causes Covid-19 by blocking its entry into cells, according to a study published this week by researchers affiliated with Oregon State University. A report on the research, "Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants," was published online on Monday by the Journal of Natural Products. The researchers found that two cannabinoid acids commonly found in hemp varietals of cannabis, cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, also known as CBDA, can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. By binding to the spike protein, the compounds can prevent the virus from entering cells and causing infection, potentially offering new avenues to prevent and treat the disease.

"Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2," the researchers wrote in an abstract of the study. The study was led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State's Global Hemp Innovation Center in the College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, in collaboration with scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University. Van Breeman said that the cannabinoids studied are common and readily available. "These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts," van Breemen said, as quoted by local media. "They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans."

Van Breemen added that CBDA and CBGA blocked the action of emerging variants of the virus that causes Covid-19, saying that "our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2, including variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and variant B.1.351, first detected in South Africa." [...] Although further research is needed, van Breemen noted that study shows the cannabinoids could be developed into drugs to prevent or treat Covid-19. 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." Van Breeman also noted that the research showed the cannabinoids were effective against new variants of the virus, which he said are "one of the primary concerns" in the pandemic for health officials and clinicians.

UPDATE (1/14): Slate points out that "working in a petri dish is a relatively low bar for a drug to clear," Slate points out.

"The conventional wisdom in pharmaceutical sciences holds that, of every 10,000 drugs that shows potential effectiveness, only one will make it to market."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Study Finds Cannabinoids Prevent COVID-19 Infection

Comments Filter:
  • Oblig XKCD (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Smidge204 ( 605297 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @08:11AM (#62169589) Journal

    https://xkcd.com/1217/ [xkcd.com]

    Remember when research also said the same thing about hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and how neither of those proved to actually be of any practical use as a prophylactic or treatment?

    Even if the study is correct in its conclusions, there's a world of difference between laboratory research and clinical effectiveness.
    =Smidge=

    • Crystal meth too! It's sooo effective against pretty much all viruses!

      • Crystal meth too! It's sooo effective against pretty much all viruses!

        Let’s not forget about shotguns. They have been proven to kill covid-19 in laboratory research and clinical trials. Also as bonus no one needs to deal with those patients anymore.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      Remember when research also said the same thing about hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and how neither of those proved to actually be of any practical use as a prophylactic or treatment?

      No, actually. The biggest proponents of those substances seemed to be of certain political group. Now even Dear Leader is booed for suggesting people take the vaccine that he took credit for creating. https://www.nbcnews.com/politi... [nbcnews.com]

      • Re:Oblig XKCD (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Smidge204 ( 605297 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @10:06AM (#62169695) Journal

        > No, actually

        Both substances had preliminary studies suggesting they might be useful for combating COVID, just like this story's article about cannabinoids. However that "certain political group" you mentioned decided to go all in before anyone followed up with, like, actual clinical trials to see if they really would have any effect.

        Turns out neither of them have any effect meaningful enough to be worth the risk of side effects in a clinical environment.

        Now CBD oil is gonna be the next craze among the "anything-but-the-vaccine" crowd. I'm thinking if it has any effect on decreasing infections at all, it'll be because everyone will be self-isolating due to being too stoned to leave the house.
        =Smidge=

        • Re: Oblig XKCD (Score:4, Informative)

          by jobslave ( 6255040 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @10:52AM (#62169789)

          CBD oil isn't going to get you, me or anyone of any age stoned.

        • Chill Out (Score:5, Funny)

          by skam240 ( 789197 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @11:42AM (#62169953)

          Now CBD oil is gonna be the next craze among the "anything-but-the-vaccine" crowd.

          Hey, maybe they'll go all in on weed instead. Then maybe they'll chill the fuck out and just get the damn shots.

        • In a world where in some places you are required to be jabbed every 3 months while simultaneously jabbed people also end up in hospitals and graves, although at lesser rate than unjabbed I give you that, do you really not understand the "anything-but-the-vaccine crowd"? The goal should be world with controlled covid without totalitarian overreaching state control which no government will ever give up, just like after 9/11. Without treatments supplementing vaccines we will have neither as we can see current
        • CBD isn't psychoactive, which is why it's legal over-the-counter in many (if not all) states where THC compounds are still illegal or highly regulated. Do you even know what you're talking about?

        • by dfghjk ( 711126 )

          I guess if you don't define "research" and "preliminary studies" then this claim could be made for anything. In the earliest days there was some consideration that HCQ might be helpful but this was quickly shot down. You can assert that this could be considered "research" or "preliminary study" but it was not.

          "However that "certain political group" you mentioned decided to go all in before anyone followed up with, like, actual clinical trials to see if they really would have any effect."

          This is also disin

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • by HiThere ( 15173 )

        Well, there clearly need to be more studies for it to be convincing, but OTOH the downsides seem pretty mild. Of course one would need to experiment with various ways of applying the doses, to see which felt like it was most effective. That could occupy quite a bit of time quite pleasantly.

    • Remember when research also said the same thing about hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and how neither of those proved to actually be of any practical use as a prophylactic or treatment?

      You are confusing absence of evidence with evidence of absence. The FDA believes there is insufficient evidence to draw this conclusion with respect to Ivermectin.

      https://www.covid19treatmentgu... [nih.gov]

    • "Remember when research also said the same thing about hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and how neither of those proved to actually be of any practical use as a prophylactic or treatment?"

      I don't care.

      I live in the EU and I get 60 grams of medical grass a month for free from my government, (Sciatica) I will smoke it even if it doesn't help against Corona.

  • by ClueHammer ( 6261830 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @08:16AM (#62169599)
    What have they been smoking... ohh... right.
  • Anecdote (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 13, 2022 @08:36AM (#62169621)
    Posting anonymously for obvious reasons. I smoke a moderate amount of cannabis daily yet I still caught the original corona strain in late march 2020. I had only mild symptoms, cough for a few days and loss of smell for a couple weeks, that was it, but I attribute the mildness of the symptoms to my strong immune system (I grew up on a livestock farm and consistently suffer far milder symptoms than my peers when the seasonal flu comes round every year, I'm in my mid 30s). Yes this is only a single data point, but it proves smoking weed doesn't prevent you getting infected, in case anyone fallaciously implied that from the headline or was wondering.
    • Re:Anecdote (Score:5, Interesting)

      by FictionPimp ( 712802 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @09:34AM (#62169665) Homepage

      They specifically call out the "A" variants of these chemicals. Example CBDA. When you smoke (decarb) you convert CBDA to CBD vastly limiting the amount of CBDA that reaches your body.

      So I'd expect smoking to cannabis to have no positive effect on covid besides feeling pretty good.

    • Just remember, everyone that ever died from an infection also had an immune system.

    • The vast majority of people have only mild symptoms, just like you.
    • From the label on a package of flower I have:

      Total THC 28.62%
      THA-A: 31.33% THC; 1.10%
      CBD-A: 0.00% CBD: 0.00%
      CBG-A: 0.88% CBG: 0.06%

      From a package of edibles:
      Per "serving": THC 10mg CBD 0mg
      They don't list anything else...except chocolate....delicious milk chocolate...makes it tempting to eat the whole package at once, but don't.

      So not a lot of CB[DG]-A to begin with. Or CBGB (I ain't got time for that now).

      The edibles come in an Indica, a Sativa and a Hybrid version, but if they're only extracting the THC I

    • by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      "(I grew up on a livestock farm and consistently suffer far milder symptoms than my peers when the seasonal flu comes round every year, I'm in my mid 30s)"

      You suffer from a seasonal flu every year, are in your mid 30s, yet think you have a strong immune system? I'm not sure how you determine "far milder symptoms" or how you are qualitied to determine that, but I would have to say that, although I am close to twice your age, I suffer far less from the flu than you do, yet I would never assert the superiorit

  • And next week, Retailers will experience a huge rush on CBD and hemp products by people who only pay attention to tags and keywords in headlines. Weed retailers will notice a slight uptick in new customers, and nothing of worth will be learned by anyone.
  • Uh huh (Score:4, Funny)

    by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @08:47AM (#62169629)
    This study was sponsored by Frito-Lay.
  • Remember when they said weed kills cancer? Weed, it's the answer to everything!

    But uh, man, uh, what was the question again?

  • by seeker_1us ( 1203072 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @10:07AM (#62169697)
    It's actually quite fascinating that the cannabanoid acids seem to have a positive effect on COVID. The article doesn't talk about what levels would be therapeutic in the body. If it ends up that the levels needed would be quite high (i.e., much higher than most marijuana users are normally exposed to) in order to actually work, then they would need to determine if the high levels don't actually harm people with side effects. I would really be interested in seeing how this plays out, but my guess is that we won't see a medical application for years, if ever.
  • Why does cannabis not fall under the republican slogan of "my body my choice"?

  • If you spend all day stoned at home playing video games and bitching on slashdot, the chances of getting COVID are zero.

    Also, study is probably bullshit.

    • by HiThere ( 15173 )

      I doubt that it's bullshit, but it's clearly only preliminary. I.e. a guide to further research. Now the interpretation that most people put on it, I'll agree that THAT's probably bullshit.

  • The study was led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State's Global Hemp Innovation Center

    Do you really need to read more?
  • To quote Bob Dylan... Everybody must get stoned!

  • Rumor has it that Cheech Marin will be taking over the responsibilities of Anthony Fauci.

    puff puff pass

  • by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @11:08AM (#62169843)

    The COVID virus just stops caring about whether it gets into the cell or not. Then it orders a pizza.

  • Every now and then I see some article somehow referencing cannabis as a super miracle drug to fight cancer, hiv, depression, weight gain, weight loss, vision, skin issues, like you name it, it cures or helps with it.

    It'd be awesome if we had some miracle drug that did all this but it's been hogwash, and test cases very biased.
    As much as people say big pharma would try to hide it, and I'm sure they would, there is enough intelligent people who want to make money, and would prove it's worth and do so, who are

  • by AndyKron ( 937105 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @11:24AM (#62169885)
    Smoke weed, be happy. Screw the rest of that nonsense, get vaccinated instead
  • Trust the science duuude!

    Anyone have a bag of Doritos I can snarf?

  • We like to believe that a substance could cure most if not all ailments. But if it is so reactive to our biology, what keeps it from causing an equal number of bad things?

    I think I'll error on the side of anecdotal evidence. I don't see a lot of pot heads going around being super healthy. They can be overweight, catch corona, have diabetes, and all the other things the rest of us deal with.

    I will admit that pot smoking surfers are in really good shape considering how much they abuse their body. But I suspec

  • Imma gunna keep smokin it all day long just to be safe
  • by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @02:43PM (#62170517)

    Is there anything a pothead would say weed does not cure? If marijuana cures everything, Bob Marley would be alive today.

  • by WillAffleckUW ( 858324 ) on Thursday January 13, 2022 @04:25PM (#62170831) Homepage Journal

    You keep resisting the free vaccines that you know WORK.

    Just. Stop.

Keep up the good work! But please don't ask me to help.

Working...