BY RUTH HILL R.N.
Scientific studies showing effective treatments for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) are not being reported by the media. Long Chi Nguyen, and Dongbo Yang, from the University of Chicago, in February 2022 published a study in ScienceAdvances. Nguyen’s results demonstrate the chemical processes by which cannabidiol (CBD) suppresses COVID infections. The study looked at 1212 patients’ medical records who were on CBD to find matched control groups. Tests were performed on human cell lines and mice.
Research Subjects
All the study participants were on oral CBD. The mice were given the COVID virus and then treated with a low dose of CBD twice a day for eight days. After day five viral replication in lungs and nasal passages was negative. A low dose of CBD reduced the viral load 4.8-fold in the lungs. Nguyen repeated the test with higher doses of CBD. They found CBD reduced the viral load 40-fold. Higher doses were non-toxic.
Of the 75 patients ingesting all kinds of oral CBD solutions, they found 6.2% got infected in the CBD group, vs 8.9% in the non-CBD group. While this difference of 2.7% may sound small if you extrapolate this to the infected population in the U.S. 2.7% would be a huge lifesaver.
The Endocannabinoid System
The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is the master signaling network in the nervous system that regulates hemostasis in mammals. There are receptors in cells of our bodies that activate our endocannabinoids, CBD, and THC, in times of stress and infection. Under normal conditions, cells of the immune system patrol the body, on alert for any intruders, such as viruses. Picture Tinker Bell flying around the inside of your body touching each system with her wand activating WBCs, RBCs, Interferon, and anti-inflammatory hormones to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Tinker Bell mimics, in this metaphor, anandamide (THC) and 2-AG (CBD), our endogenous cannabinoids. Now that you have this picture in your mind’s eye, read below how THC and CBD fight viruses.
THC vs CBD vs Metabolites
Nguyen’s research found other cannabinoids ineffective. Combining CBD with THC (1:1) significantly suppressed CBD efficacy. In other words, cannabis users who primarily smoked THC without ingesting CBD, may not have resisted the virus. CBD acts early after viral infection by targeting the ECS processes. CBD inhibits and eradicates the expression of the viral RNA. No toxicity was observed for any of the CBD dose preparations used.
Ingestion of CBD under the tongue is absorbed via the capillaries in the bloodstream. When the tincture is swallowed and travels through the liver, it gets converted to the metabolite 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol. This is the same metabolite that inhibits seizures. The CBD metabolite, 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol, was also found to exhibit antiviral activity.
Remember the metabolite is stronger than the original molecule, but it takes longer to digest. Morphine is the metabolite for codeine. The metabolite for oxycodone is so strong it can induce nausea in some patients. The metabolite, 11-OH-THC, is 2-4 times stronger than THC. If you are not getting results from a piece of chocolate or gummy melted in your mouth, try swallowing it. The effect, depending on your metabolism, may take 1-3 hours, but by then the strong metabolite will be converted producing the desired relief.
Cannabidiol Processes Killing COVID
CBD suppresses viral infection and promotes the degradation of viral RNA. SARS-CoV-2 infection suppresses the interferon signaling pathway. The interferon pathway surrounds the cell with a protective wall. Viruses interrupt this pathway when they enter the cell. The ECS acts with warp speed to achieve homeostasis. CBD lowers the effective viral load enabling the immune system to restore the interferon pathway.
COVID, depending on the person’s physical condition, causes an inflammatory response so severe it can lead to a lethal cytokine storm. Tinker Bell taps the cell with CBD and PUFF the cytokine storm dissolves with the virus. In summary, the research by Long Chi Nguyen, and Dongbo Yang et.al. found CBD reduced the viral genes for spike protein by around 99%.
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