Cannabis compounds block the virus responsible for COVID-19: Study
by Luke Gentile, Social Media Producer
| January 12, 2022 12:52 PM
Researchers from Oregon State University announced that certain compounds with cannabis are able to block the virus responsible for COVID-19 from penetrating human cells.
The study, led by Richard van Breemen of Oregon State's Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy, and Linus Pauling Institute, was published Monday in the Journal of Natural Products.
A pair of cannabinoid acids were found to bond with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and block a vital part of the process that allows the virus to infect people, van Breemen said.
"We identified several cannabinoid ligands and ranked them by affinity to the spike protein," van Breemen said. "The two cannabinoids with the highest affinities for the spike protein were CBDA and CGBA, and they were confirmed to block infection."
These compounds are cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid, according to the study.
"These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts," van Breemen said. "They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans. And 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."
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