New Study Shows Cannabis Compounds Can Help Prevent COVID-19 Infections

As if cannabis didn’t have enough incredible medical properties already, researchers affiliated with Oregon State University have found arguably the most impactful medicinal use for the plant to date.

In addition to long-recognized health benefits such as relief from anxiety, depression, neurological and eating disorders, and even cancer, cannabis can help protect users against the COVID-19 virus. The last claim is according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of Natural Products, a peer-reviewed publication that covers naturally occurring compounds. Co-published by the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Chemical Society, the journal is globally renowned as a leader in its field of study.

“Cannabinoid acids from hemp were found to be allosteric as well as orthosteric ligands with micromolar affinity for the spike protein,” wrote Richard van Breemen, the study’s lead researcher and a professor at Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. “In follow-up virus neutralization assays, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells by a pseudovirus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and prevented entry of live SARS-CoV-2 into cells.”

In layman’s terms? A pair of cannabinoid acids found in hemp — cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) — have the potential to prevent and even treat infection caused by a number of COVID-19 variants. The acids are equally as effective against the virus in both in their isolated forms and when included in hemp extracts.

CBGA and CBGA are abundant in hemp products and many extracts, van Breemen said. They’re not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a reputable track record of being safe for human use.

Vermont-based hemp vendor Montkush describes CBDA as a non-psychoactive compound that serves as a precursor to CBD. More specifically, CBDA is decarboxylated when heated to create CBD. This can happen instantly when smoked or vaped, or slowly when the plant is dried out. CBDA is essentially raw CBD, found in the live or raw hemp plants bred for high CBD levels.

CBGA is produced in trichomes, and activates cell necrosis for natural leaf pruning. It helps the cannabis plant maximize the energy it directs toward the flower. Like CBDA, CBGA also eventually converts into CBD when heated, but it can also convert into THC.