{"id":3637,"date":"2022-01-13T21:44:51","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T21:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=190890"},"modified":"2022-01-13T21:44:51","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T21:44:51","slug":"no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3637","title":{"rendered":"No, CBD won\u2019t cure Covid. Here\u2019s what that study actually found"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>No, CBD won&#8217;t cure Covid. Here&#8217;s what that study actually found | Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<h2 id=\"h-pump-the-brakes-before-cannabinoids-become-the-next-ivermectin\"><em>Pump the brakes before cannabinoids become the next Ivermectin.<\/em><\/h2>\n<h4 id=\"h-the-haymaker-is-leafly-senior-editor-bruce-barcott-s-opinion-column-on-cannabis-politics-and-culture\"><em>The Haymaker is Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott\u2019s opinion column on cannabis politics and culture. <\/em><\/h4>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35007072\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scientific study<\/a> published on Monday in the <em>Journal of Natural Products<\/em> sent shockwaves through the cannabis industry\u2014and in the space of 48 hours went from miracle cure to late-night comedy fodder. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img alt=\"haymaker-column-logo\" class=\"wp-image-172448 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"353\" height=\"166\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found.png,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found.png,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found.png,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found.png,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s the fact: A team of researchers from Oregon State University and the Oregon Health &amp; Science University reported that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cbd\/what-is-cbda-cannabidiolic-acid-marijuana-cannabinoid#:~:text=CBDA%20(cannabidiolic%20acid)%20is%20one,and%20when%20exposed%20to%20heat.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBDA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/what-is-cbga-cannabigerolic-acid-marijuana-cannabinoid#:~:text=CBGA%2C%20or%20cannabigerolic%20acid%2C%20is,produced%20by%20the%20cannabis%20plant.&amp;text=Performing%20a%20protective%20function%20for,energy%20directed%20toward%20the%20flower.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBGA<\/a> inhibited the reproduction and spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus in early in vitro lab tests.<\/p>\n<p>CBDA and CBGA are the raw forms of CBD and CBG. Both can be derived from federally legal hemp.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cbd\/what-is-cbda-cannabidiolic-acid-marijuana-cannabinoid\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>What is CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) &amp; what are the benefits of this cannabinoid?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that these specific cannabinoids discouraged the Covid-19 protein from penetrating human cells. At certain levels of potency, CBDA and CBGA were able to reduce viral infections\u2014in a petri dish\u2014by half. The concentrations of CBDA or CBGA needed to block infection in actual humans by half \u201cis high,\u201d wrote the authors, \u201cbut might be clinically achievable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By Wednesday night, comedy writers had turned CBD into the next Ivermectin. This morning the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/01\/13\/arts\/television\/jimmy-kimmel-covid-cannabis.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York Times comedy roundup<\/a> included these gems:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis would be interesting. All this time we\u2019ve been listening to the C.D.C., we should have been eating CBD.\u201d&nbsp;<em>\u2014 Jimmy Kimmel<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, it\u2019s funny \u2014 all these crazy cures, I\u2019m like \u2018Oh, that\u2019s ridiculous.\u2019 Ivermectin, the horse dewormer; bleach. And then somebody says marijuana prevents Covid, I\u2019m like \u2018Oh, really? Do tell.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;<em>\u2014 Jimmy Kimmel<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn other words, the pot enters the body and asks Covid, \u2018Are you a cell? You have to tell me if you\u2019re a cell.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;<em>\u2014 Stephen Colbert<\/em> <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/strains-products\/dosidos-2021-leafly-strain-of-the-year\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The Leafly Strain of the Year 2021 is Dosidos!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-that-escalated-quickly\">That escalated quickly<\/h2>\n<p>And thus, with the help of Stephen Colbert, an obscure lab test involving CBDA has become, in the mind of the general public, \u201cpot cures Covid.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Is the Oregon study exciting news? Sure. But hang on. Before you start freebasing CBD gummies&nbsp;, sit down and consider the full context of this news.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-this-wasn-t-actually-tested-on-people\">This wasn\u2019t actually tested on people<\/h2>\n<p>First, understand what the researchers found and what they did not find.<\/p>\n<p>According to the published article, this wasn\u2019t a study of the scope you might be assuming. No humans were involved. The potential of CBDA to block the production of Covid-19 cells hasn\u2019t even been tested on lab mice.<\/p>\n<p>The Oregon researchers ran the known properties of CBDA and CBGA through a commonly used computer model. In other words, they matched the cannabinoids up against Covid-19 in a computer simulation.<\/p>\n<p>After those results showed promise, the Oregon team conducted cell infection assays. In other words, they mixed live samples of the Covid-19 virus with CBDA, CBGA, or a neutral control in petri dishes. After 24 hours, the researchers found that the Covid-19 virus had reproduced at a significantly lower rate in the CBDA and CBGA samples.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-thca-promising-too\">THCA: Promising too<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s an interesting side note: The Oregon researchers reported that THCA, the raw form of THC, showed similar promise in their computer model. But because THCA is a federally illegal substance, and the scientists must abide by federal research funding rules at their institutions, they couldn\u2019t move forward and test actual THCA in cell assays. THCA may be just as promising as CBDA and CBGA, but we don\u2019t know because of federal marijuana prohibition.<\/p>\n<p>The key word here is <em>promising<\/em>. Not proven. And even the word <em>promising<\/em> is a stretch. In scientific terms, the Oregon study is <em>interesting<\/em>\u2014these findings are meant to spur further research, perhaps using lab mice. We\u2019re miles away from studies that test the effectiveness of these cannabinoids in actual humans.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, we don\u2019t live in a normal world. We\u2019re in the middle of a global pandemic. Here in the United States, the right-wing hysteria machine has championed quackadoodle cures like Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine while ridiculing the scientifically proven Covid-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-we-ve-seen-this-before\">We\u2019ve seen this before<\/h2>\n<p>The Oregon study opens up great potential but also enormous risk. There\u2019s risk to public health, as people who might otherwise get vaccinated instead start chugging CBDA oil. And there\u2019s the risk that the very real promise of cannabinoid medicine could get lumped in with Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and be written off as just another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/future-perfect\/22776428\/ivermectin-science-publication-research-fraud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overhyped and ineffective miracle cure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m reminded of the long-running debate over the potential of cannabinoids in the fight against cancer. There are those who champion high-dose cannabis, often in the form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cannabis-101\/what-is-rick-simpson-oil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)<\/a>, as a powerful cancer-fighting medicine. But some of the world\u2019s leading cannabinoid researchers, Dr. Donald Abrams and Prof. Manuel Guzm\u00e1n, pumped the brakes on the \u201ccannabis cures cancer\u201d talk back in 2020 in <em>JAMA Oncology<\/em>, one of the world\u2019s most prestigious peer-reviewed cancer journals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/health\/can-cannabis-alone-cure-cancer-we-asked-oncologist-dr-donald-abrams\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>Can cannabis alone cure cancer? We asked oncologist Dr. Donald Abrams<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Abrams and Guzm\u00e1n didn\u2019t dismiss the promising ongoing studies on cannabinoids and cancer, some of which are being conducted by Guzm\u00e1n\u2019s own lab. But the two scientists have learned, over decades of hard experience, that what proves promising in the lab doesn\u2019t always pan out in actual human beings. I spoke directly with Donald Abrams about this two years ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThings that happen in vitro, [i.e., in a lab dish], don\u2019t necessarily translate into potential clinical benefits,\u201d Abrams told me. \u201cTaking cells in culture and adding chemicals to them is very different than digesting something in the human body. Humans have a digestive system, detoxification systems, and an immune system.\u201d All of those things contribute to the interaction of a drug, the body, and cancer cells, Abrams said.&nbsp;\u201cIt\u2019s much more complex than what you see in the test tube.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abrams has also seen the downside of overhyped and unproven cures. As an integrative oncologist in San Francisco, he sometimes encounters patients who have abandoned conventional cancer treatment in favor of a cannabis cure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see patients who often have waited months to get an appointment with me,\u201d Abrams said. \u201cOne of the most painful things I have to deal with are people who have a potentially curable malignancy who choose to forego conventional cancer treatment and instead choose to try to treat themselves with highly concentrated oils with either THC, CBD, or both.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-sure-try-cbd-and-the-vaccine\">Sure, try CBD\u2014and the vaccine<\/h2>\n<p>Buyer beware. The Oregon study should lead to more studies of the potential for cannabinoids\u2014including CBDA, CBGA, <em>and<\/em> THCA\u2014to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the cellular level. But it shouldn\u2019t lead you to forego a proven vaccine in favor of CBDA oil.<\/p>\n<p>By all means, order up a supply of CBDA if you so choose. But don\u2019t be one of those patients who disappoints Dr. Abrams by sabotaging their own survival. Get vaccinated too. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>Learn about CBDA, CBGA, and THCA<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/no-cbd-wont-cure-covid-heres-what-that-study-actually-found.jpg\" alt=\"Bruce Barcott's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Bruce Barcott<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/bruce-barcott\">View Bruce Barcott&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2022-01-13 22:10:01 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No, CBD won&#8217;t cure Covid. Here&#8217;s what that study actually found | Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Pump the brakes before cannabinoids become the next Ivermectin. The Haymaker is Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott\u2019s opinion column on cannabis politics and culture. 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