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Cannabis compounds prevented the virus that causes Covid-19 from penetrating healthy human cells, according to a laboratory study published in the Journal of Nature Products.
The two compounds commonly found in hemp- called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA- were identified during a chemical screening effort as having potential to combat coronavirus, researchers from Oregon State University said. In the study, they bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people.
Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, has found that CBDa has the ability to prevent the virus that causes C0VID-19 from entering human cells.
“These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans. They have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2,” van Breemen said in a statement.
“Our data show CBDA and CBGA are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants,” van Breemen said.
The researchers tested the compounds’ effect against alpha and beta variants of the virus in a laboratory. The study didn’t involve giving the supplements to people or comparing infection rates in those who use the compounds to those who don’t.