CBD Against Coronavirus: Separating Fact from Fiction

What’s The Role of CBD in Fighting Coronavirus

COVID-19 has shown no signs of slowing down despite several medical advancements to alleviate its underlying causes. As of September 2020, COVID-19 has toppled 30,949,804 cases worldwide, out of which 959,116 have resulted in fatalities. These numbers are staggering and remind us of the horrific Spanish Flu that ravaged large populations almost a century ago. In this article, we will focus on the role of CBD against Coronavirus.

COVID-19’s main mode of transmission is by airborne droplets. It binds to the ACE2 protein, which is commonplace on the surface of many cells. This protein provides easy passage for the virus to infiltrate your body. 

The pursuit of a safe and effective vaccine is ongoing. Researchers have already introduced several viable models, besides presenting many subsidiary medical treatments, such as steroidal drugs and antivirals. 

One surprising potential treatment that has surfaced out of these scientific endeavors is Cannabis oil. Early reports suggest that CBD might have a role to play in curbing the symptoms of Coronavirus. Especially, after almost 70% of the states have legalized CBD oil in one form or another, scientific communities are wrapping their heads around one possibility: What is CBD’s role in fighting Coronavirus?

So, are there any scientific studies to answer this question? 

Can CBD oil play a role in fighting Coronavirus? Does COVID-19 have anti-inflammatory properties to ward off COVID-19’s harsh inflammatory effects on the body? 

Before choosing to use CBD oil to treat your CVOID-19 infection, here are some facts to nudge you in the right direction:

Role of CBD In Fighting Coronavirus

CBD VS COVID-19: Averting Lung Infections

Several scientific studies have corroborated that cannabinoids possess antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. One cannabinoid, in particular, that has shown increasing promise is CBD. 

CBD could potentially prove promising in treating lung infections resulting from coronavirus complications. Due to CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, some researchers have suggested its potential use as a cytokine suppressor. This indicates that the role of CBD in fighting coronavirus isn’t just a hoax. 

One major triggering event characteristic of severe coronavirus infections is the “cytokine storm.” Cytokine storms are a consequence of excessive lung inflammation and can cause patients to expire within 24 hours. They quickly impair the victim’s lungs and cause important oxygen entry points to clog. Moreover, they also make the lungs a breeding ground for the virus to replicate, allowing harmful gases like carbon dioxide to accumulate.  

To further understand cytokine storms and their effects on the human body, you must understand their anatomy.

Cytokines are composed of two special classes of compounds called interferons and interleukin, produced in the immune system to deter inflammation. In COVID-19’s case, however, these molecules are manufactured in such excessive amounts that they hyper-inflame viral sites instead of relieving them. 

Mechanical ventilators have proved somewhat effective at substituting for defective lungs and combating cytokine storms. These enable severe cases of SARS-COV2 to breathe without expending excessive energy, permitting the immune system to focus most of its resources to fight active infections. 

However, the stats to advocate treatment involving mechanical ventilators aren’t that positive. According to one figure, 30-50% of patients don’t survive at the mechanical ventilation stage. 

Researchers hailing from the Dental College of Georgia cited that early studies suggest that CBD could help patients experiencing acute respiratory syndrome (responsible for cytokine storms) and remove the need for expensive and extreme measures like mechanical ventilation. They suggested that the role of CBD in fighting coronavirus is a possibility. 

The researchers added that pure CBD isolates, in particular, can help the lungs overcome severe pulmonary inflammations and cytokine storms brought on by COVID-19. As a result, patients can normalize oxygen saturation levels in their bloodstream and improve recovery times. 

Moreover, CBD is not known to cause any adverse reactions than other prescribed COVID-19 medications, such as Tocilizumab. Another great thing about CBD is that the FDA has already approved a CBD-based drug — Epiodolex — to treat two forms of severe epilepsy in children. 

Because of these reasons, many people have recognized the role of CBD in fighting Coronavirus, and research is in full swing. 

State of CBD-COVID-19 Research and Commercial Products

Currently, research is focused on preparing different concoctions of CBD to help produce preventative medicine against Coronavirus, which may help prevent viral entry. Some products contributing to the role of CBD in fighting coronavirus include:

• CBD-based mouthwash
• CBD throat gargle

Another way researchers might mobilize a CBD-based treatment is by utilizing the stress-relieving effects of the hemp-based oil. Many people have suffered from unsettling anxiety and stress in quarantine, which may have weakened immune responses. 

Although the scientific evidence of CBD’s anti-stress properties is scarce, researchers are starting to identify CBD’s role in fighting coronavirus. Studies have shown that CBD terpenes harvested from cannabis flowers possess critical antiviral properties. 

A Canadian study recently submitted for peer review reported that Cannabis could block the virus’s entry doors, thus preventing active COVID-19 proteins from binding to cells. After the promising initial results of this research, many companies with vested interests in the plant have collaborated with universities to fund extensive cannabis research. This type of collaboration, however, isn’t new. Industries have joined hands with academia for decades in a diverse set of sectors. 

On the other hand, US scientists are still skeptical of cannabis’ potential applications in treating the virus. This is because the legalization surrounding Cannabis in the states is much more complicated. Especially at the federal level, legalization has stalled for years. Until the entire country is greenlit to use CBD oil for research, you can expect little progress in CBD-COVID-19 therapies. 

The major problem with scientific studies and anecdotal evidence is that correlation doesn’t always equate to causation. Although CBD might have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, it’s still too early to regard it as a treatment for inflammatory and viral conditions like COVID-19. Here’s what we know for now:

• The Food and Drug Administration Authority tread with caution when using non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat CVOID-19. 
• However, a new study jumped up in June 2020 to dismiss the FDA’s speculations. In this research, scientists found no evidence to suggest that CBD can exacerbate the effects of COVID-19. It also went one step ahead and rendered other medications used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory conditions as safe for use. 

The above developments suggest that CBD might reduce inflammation and prevent viral outbreaks. However, it’s still not conclusive enough to rule out other possibilities. No matter how premature, the evidence we have suggests that CBD’s role in fighting coronavirus isn’t just an unthoughtful sham. 

How Can You Use CBD To Treat COVID-19?

Although concrete scientific evidence to back up CBD’s potential use in treating COVID-19 is scarce, this doesn’t mean users can’t safely try it to combat COVID-19.  

As already mentioned, CBD doesn’t have any of the side effects prevalent in other medications. Furthermore, some studies show that organic full-spectrum CBD oil may help individuals who suffer from chronic anxiety and insomnia. In 2015, a study was published in Neurotherapeutics, which extracted data from anecdotal evidence and scientific research, noted that CBD has significant potential as a viable treatment for chronic and acute anxiety disorders. 

These findings were further backed in 2019 when new research surfaced in The Permanente Journal inferred that CBD oil could improve circadian rhythms and realign sleep patterns. This also strengthened the role of CBD in fighting Coronavirus. Out of 72 adults, most experienced a noticeable decrease in sleep-hampering anxiety within a month. 

 There are many reputable American brands of full-spectrum CBD oil that you can rely on. However, you have to be careful. Many of these products are unregulated and may contain high THC levels that may cause psychoactive episodes. Mostly, people who contend with neurological conditions, like Bipolar disorder, should seek medical consultation before CBD use.

Conclusion: Role Of CBD in Fighting Coronavirus is Largely Positive

Current research suggests CBD’s early promise in curbing the effects of Coronavirus isn’t mere misinformation. It has some scientific data to back it up. However, you can’t classify it as stable or progressive enough to render it “concrete” and conclusive. 

Past and present research have both reached similar conclusions that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. Because most SARS-COV2 related deaths happen due to hyper inflammation, CBD could provide some potential use. A 2020 study published in Antioxidants corroborates this claim. According to the peer-reviewed journal, cannabidiol could have therapeutic properties due to its close links with the Endocannabinoid system. 

While these findings shed a positive light on the future of CBD, misinformation is rampant. Some conspiracy theorists have even peddled Cannabis as a surefire solution to the novel Coronavirus Pandemic. Because of this, it’s essential to tread carefully. 

You should always rely on reputable medical advice if you have contracted COVID-19 and use CBD and other alternative therapies as a safety blanket. There are no severe side effects associated with full-spectrum organic CBD oil, so if you have to choose a CBD product, this is your best bet. Just make sure you understand CBD’s role in fighting Coronavirus to the last bit before making any decisions. 

So, to sum up, CBD’s role in fighting Coronavirus, we’d say that CBD has promising potential. There’ an imminent need for research on CBD’s potential utilization as a COVID-19 therapy. This can only happen when communication between the US government and academic institutions is more streamlined. Many researchers are discouraged from indulging in CBD research because of fears of breaching federal law. This has also caused research grants and funding to reduce significantly.