Canadian study suggests cannabis could help fight COVID-19

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Scientists researching ways to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 think cannabis may be part of the solution.

While there is still no cure or vaccine for the coronavirus, which has caused lockdowns all over the globe, researchers in Alberta believe marijuana might hold a secret to help curb the spread of the virus.

The study which was published on Preprints and conducted by researchers at the University of Lethbridge looked at over 400 THC and CBD-dominant strains and found that 13 of them— especially sativas high in CBD — helped down-regulate the protein receptor ACE2, which is targeted by the coronavirus in the mouth, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and other parts the body.

The study concludes, “The extracts of our most successful and novel high CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy. They can be used to develop easy-to-use preventative treatments in the form of mouthwash and throat gargle products for both clinical and at-home use.

Such products ought to be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral mucosa. Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and avenue must be considered.”

In laymen’s terms: there are some strains of weed that interact with the same receptors COVID-19 would, which means consuming them could reduce your chances of contracting the virus by as much as 73 percent.

But please note these are only preliminary findings that have yet to be tested on humans and validated by a peer-review.

Cannabis Might Block COVID-19 Infection, Study Shows. Smoking weed won’t make you coronavirus-proof, but these researchers might be onto something. https://t.co/qVdzt8LkR3

— D.K.R. Boyd (@ReflectingMan) May 17, 2020