Cannabidol 'slows' the spread of Covid-19 and stimulates the immune response.
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound produced by the cannabis plant, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study published by the preprint platform bioRxviv. This is likely because CBD and its metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, not congeneric cannabinoids, potently block COVID-19 replication in pulmonary epithelial cells.
CBD appears to act after cell infection, inhibiting viral gene expression and reversing many of the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus on host gene transcription. According to research, CBD induces the expression of the interferon protein and regulates its antiviral signaling pathway.
The study showed that a group of people who had previously taken CBD had a significantly lower incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population. This study highlights CBD and its active metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, as potential preventative agents and therapeutic treatments for SARS-CoV-2 in the early stages of infection.
At the beginning of March, a study by Israeli researchers was published linking Covid-19 and cannabis, highlighting the antiviral effect achieved by combining terpenes, natural compounds extracted from plants, and cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.
The study, published in preprint, evaluated the effect of a new terpene-based formulation called NT-VRL-1, to which cannabidiol was added, against the 229E strain of human coronavirus (HCoV) in lung cells. The results demonstrated the formula's ability to combat the virus when preincubated with host cells before the onset of infection.
Natural antiviral solution
This combination is proposed as "a natural antiviral solution with minimal side effects that could be used individually or in addition to vaccines as a preventative treatment," according to the research's sponsors.
A much stronger effect was also observed when CBD was applied together with the composition, created with 30 natural terpenes from both cannabis and other plants, suggesting a synergistic or additive effect between the two.
Therefore, NT-VRL-1's ability to protect against the virus is greater when pre-incubated and is amplified when combined with CBD. Even so, this combination alone could be "useful as a preventative treatment for coronavirus." As for the route of administration, experts suggest inhalation, as the lungs are the organs most affected by Covid-19.
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