As the ongoing coronavirus continues to grapple the whole world, researchers have been considering whether cannabis has the potential to treat COVID-19, the infection caused by the new virus.
Researchers from the University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute have recommended scientists to study the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on lung inflammation caused by COVID-19.
CDC is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, which accounts for up to 40% of the plant’s extract.
No scientific evidence suggests that cannabis or its compounds can help treat COVID-19. However, in a peer-reviewed article in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the researchers said further studies are required to understand whether CBD can help patients with the disease.
Cannabis writer and educator Emily Earlenbaugh, co-founder of Mindful Cannabis Consulting, discussed the study with CBSN and explained that the body’s immune system overreacts to the virus, releasing too many cytokines (proteins), which is called a “cytokine storm.”
She said, “Cytokines will normally help to create antibodies to fight off infections but in these extreme cases, you see so much cytokines being released into the system that it creates a cytokine storm.”
“You might see high fever, inflammation, severe fatigue and nausea, and in serious cases, it can lead to death through organ failure.”
Citing previous studies, Earlenbaugh said CBD acts as an interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine inhibitor, which means it helps reduce the production of cytokines.
The researchers turned to cannabis, specifically CBD, to study its effects on COVID-19 patients after they found that Tocilizumab resulted in serious side effects even though it helped 90% of patients to recover from the illness.
They said that several cannabinoids in the cannabis plant have anti-inflammatory effects. They said, “CBD has shown beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in pre-clinical models of various chronic inflammatory diseases,” noting that one CBD product has already been approved by the FDA to treat certain types of epilepsy.
Earlenbaugh told CBSN, “CBD has very few side effects, so it’s something that’s being looked at as a much more mild treatment that still has a lot of anti-inflammatory powers.”
The study authors said CBD could help reduce anxiety in patients and increase the production of antiviral proteins called interferons that help the body to fight infections.
As the researchers are still studying the effects of cannabis, Earlenbaugh cautioned people against using the drug to fight COVID-19 infection.
Some experts have said that using cannabis early on in the infection stages could increase the risk of adverse effects.
“We’re very pretty far away from human research that could really definitively answer those questions for us,” Earlenbaugh said. “The other reason for caution is that cytokines are important in fighting off infections,” she added. “So, we don’t want to reduce them as a preventative measure or in the early stages of the infection.”
