Compounds In Cannabis Might Prevent COVID-19

My Titles Get Closer To Clickbait Each Week

Which I’m not a fan of overall, but in this case, I promise that I’m not being entirely sensational. I’ll be the first to admit that the research I’m presenting here should not be considered conclusive, and that the primary study I’m citing has yet to be replicated. It’s science news hot off the presses, but because of that, we should be wary of the study’s ultimate conclusions. We’ll only know the truth once further studies are conducted, but that takes a lot of time. Luckily, the search for novel treatments to assist in the prevention of COVID-19 shows few (if any) signs of slowing down.

The study in question, published earlier this week by researchers from Oregon State University, identifies two specific chemical compounds present in cannabis flower that were shown to prevent the infection of living cell tissue by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study is clear that the preventative effects should not be considered a substitute for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but that the compounds in question can provide an additional layer of protection against certain variants of the disease.

The compounds in question are two we don’t usually talk about in a commercial sense, unlike the more often mentioned CBD or THC. At least as far as I’m aware, you won’t find any mention of the Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) content of most strains at a dispensary near you. That’s the first of the two compounds identified in the original study, the second being Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA).

It doesn’t help that whoever discovered the compounds wasn’t too creative with the names of all the chemicals they found. I get that some of that is by convention, but they could’ve done a little more to differentiate the acids past a couple letters in the middle. This isn’t the Krebs Cycle.

So Acid Is The Real Solution

Yes, but not the fun kind. Not the worst kind, either. Prior to this study being published, both the acids it concerns were seen as very mediocre.

The full study is available for download, if you’re into that sort of thing- There’s a direct link in the previous section of this post. If not, I’m happy to explain a little more about it, to the best of my ability.

The study found that both CBGA and CBDA, when tested in human epithelial cells, were able to bind to a specific part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus called the spike protein. Explaining how it works would be a post unto itself, so I’ve left a link to Wikipedia instead. This is my world; I can link to Wikipedia if I want to.

To put it very basically, the spike protein helps a virus ‘attach’ to a cell and inject viral material in order to infect it. Lots of other viruses have spike proteins, including influenza (the flu), as well as retroviruses like HIV.

I’m almost done with the technical talk- I promise. I’ll wrap everything up in one sentence:

For Those Too Lazy Busy To Read Everything

CBGA and CBDA attach themselves to the spike protein of COVID-19, which prevents the virus from attaching to your cells and infecting them.

You Could’ve Said That From The Start

There’s actually a bit more detail to the study that I’d like to get to, but you’re right, I could’ve led with that.

The study was performed using viruses that caused the Alpha and Beta variants of COVID-19, but since the latest variants still share a similar spike protein, it should prove effective against Omicron and Delta. In order to avoid the preventative effects of CBGA and CBDA, a novel variant would have to undergo significant mutation to its spike protein, specifically.

Mutations to the spike protein are treated very seriously by the medical community, and local variants that show significant changes are reported on and tracked by international efforts and organizations.

The reason for concern is that a major mutation in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 might mean that our current vaccines will become ineffective. There’s more at stake than losing out on the preventative effects of marijuana, there’s a possibility that one of our best tools against existing variants could soon be obsolete.

There’s still debate on whether such a series of mutations could actually cause the vaccine to lose effectiveness, but the possibility is worth considering. There seems to be enough consensus that it’s something we should keep an eye on, and I’m inclined to agree with that sentiment.

You Said You Were Done With The Technical Talk

Was that technical talk? You did great getting through it. I’m proud of you.

Now that we’re all done with that, let’s talk about the fun stuff: there are lots of implications to consider, and a lot of people in the world of cannabis committing to big moves relating to these early, early findings.

Just this week, a hemp farm in Oregon announced that they’ll be working to produce new strains and extracts that have higher concentrations of CBDA and CBGA for sale as soon as possible.

I think it might be hard for most consumers to be swayed by claims that cannabis can actually prevent COVID-19, as there’s already a lot of sensational marketing out there regarding the restorative effects of cannabis. It’s such a common advertising tactic that in Canada, it’s actually against The Cannabis Act to make unfounded claims about the health benefits of marijuana products when you’re advertising for your canna-business.

Claims of various ‘holistic’ healing powers and spiritual traits have often had a strong association with cannabis culture, and I think a lot of people have experienced at least one person in their life who thought that cannabis could be a cure for everything. It’s not, but I believe that it’s association with that more homeopathic side of medicine might make most people skeptical of what this latest study claims.

In my opinion, though, the work by OSU seems sound. The findings are interesting, and I hope that other researchers are able to confirm the efficacy of cannabis-related compounds as a method of prevention against COVID-19.

I’m a big proponent of whatever changes we can make to help protect ourselves from getting sick, and if those changes mean I have to spend my days inside while smoking all the weed I can, then I will be the first to make that difficult, heroic sacrifice.