A new study based in Oregon, United States discovered that a non-psychoactive compound found in live cannabis plants could help sabotage the spike protein on coronavirus.
Cannabis might be effective against Covid -19
According to a study by the scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) and Oregon Health and Science University found that a chemical found in live cannabis plants could help protect human cells against coronavirus infections.
Two acids present in hemp, a type of cannabis plant used widely in cloth, paper and as a drug, were able to jam the gears of the virus that causes Covid-19, the study added.
However, the compounds probably cannot be consumed via any of the traditional methods of taking cannabis as a drug, meaning they would have to be harvested separately to make a specific medicine.
Hemp compounds equally effective against SARS-Cov-2
As per lead author Richard van, Breemen of OSU’s Global hemp Innovation Centre said, “These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts. They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans and our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-Cov-2.”
