Can Medical Marijuana Help to Prevent or Treat COVID-19?

COVID-19 has affected the entire world, and still, COVID-19 is showing no sign of slowing down. Vaccines are still in the developing and trial phase that is going to take time. The rush to try some drugs for treating the symptoms is always at the peak, and there is no specific medicine to it except the combination of a few medications.

With so many health workers and medical doctors seeking a cure, the best preventive strategy till now is maintaining social distancing and wearing masks. The early studies signify that Medical Marijuana may have the potential to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. However, it is worth taking a closer look to check on what role Medical Marijuana may play in mitigating the severity of the symptoms brought by COVID-19.

All about Corona Virus!

COVID-19 is an acronym for Corona Virus 2019. COVID-19 utilizes its prickly surface proteins to snatch on to receptors found on healthy cells, especially those found in the lungs. These viral proteins mainly go through ACE2 receptors. And once these viral proteins have made their way inside, the Corona Virus takes the command and seizes healthy cells. Ultimately it leads to killing some healthy cells.

The Corona Virus usually impacts the respiratory system of a person by moving towards the respiratory tract. This means the virus’s processing includes a person’s mouth, throat, nose, and lungs. Conversely, as the lower airways have more ACE2 receptors than the rest of the respiratory tract, Covid-19 is probable to go intense than other viruses like the cold. This is the reason that COVID-19 is considered as threatening than other flu and viruses. The COVID-19 makes a person unable to breathe by entering the lungs, especially when it leads to pneumonia.

As per the recent experience with COVID-19, around 80 percent of people’s symptoms end with fever and cough, and in rare cases, the symptoms get severe. The symptoms begin showing up after about 5 to 8 days and, for some people, may lead to a health issue of shortness of breath. After a few days, the shortness of breath may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

What can Medical Marijuana do?

Medical Cannabis is a plant comprised of more than 100 constituents, and every component has distinct medicinal properties that may help treat some health issues symptoms. Cannabinoids present in Medical Marijuana are the point of attraction that has healing properties. Cannabinoids such as Cannabidiol (CBD) contain herbal and anti-inflammatory properties that may help treat some medical symptoms. Also, it has a history of safe use that doesn’t make a person feel high.

CBD acts as a vasorelaxant and can reduce anxiety and pain. Our country has reported most anxiety cases during the COVID-19 lockdown phase, and people are still dealing with this. CBD has the potential to treat several symptoms of COVID-19. COVID-19 is a proven remedy in mitigating anxiety, stress, diminishing chronic pain, and several other health conditions. So, it can be considered as a working remedy to work on a few symptoms of COVID-19. Let us take a closer look at it.

Can Medical Marijuana help to prevent or treat COVID-19?

To date, there is no confirmation that what can accurately treat or prevent the spread of COVID-19. This requires a lot of research and studies. Let us dig into the facts of Medical Cannabis in the prevention and treatment phase.

Prevention

The studies and novel approaches to the prevention of COVID-19 comprise examining the probability of incorporating CBD into oral solutions. This includes throat gargling, mouthwashes to lower down the ACE2 levels in high-risk tissues. As per the research and studies, ACE2 levels alter during the progression of COVID-19. Hence, the ability to modulate these levels becomes especially imperative as ACE2 has been revealed to be indispensable for lung functioning in animal models.

Medical Cannabis in Diminishing the severity and impact of COVID-19

During the analysis of COVID-19, there has been a substantial degree of interest in the observable fact of cytokine storm syndrome in which so many cytokine proteins are liberated in the body. These proteins are responsible for attacking the lungs and overpower the immune system with hyper-inflammation.

Early evidence has stated that THC and CBD can be advantageous in treating patients whose body’s inflammatory reaction has become pathogenic. The research in this field is attentive to cannabinoids and terpenes’ capability in lowering the immune system’s response devoid of suppressing it. Early findings conducted in Israel by Cannabis research and development firm CannaSoul Analytics and Terpene manufacturer Eybna indicates that a combination of cannabinoids and terpenes used up to twice is more efficient and effective than Corticosteroid dexamethasone when utilized to diminish the inflammation caused due to COVID-19. However, the study is not peer-reviewed yet.

Another novel approach is in its investigation phase in Israel only. This includes the development of potential cell therapy treatment that utilizes CBD loaded exosomes to treat COVID-19 patients. It is deliberated to target both COVID-19 and central nervous system indications. CBD loaded exosomes hold a considerable potential of endowing with a highly synergistic upshot of anti-inflammatory properties by pursuing some precisely smashed organs like contaminated lung cells.

What can be done to amplify research in this field?

The research into the medicinal potential of Medical Cannabis is disreputable for the intricacy of its application processes and the complexity of sourcing marijuana. A special license for performing the research-related activities in Australia is essential for storing and using cannabinoids with no THC content as it is a Schedule 9 drug despite having no psychoactive properties.

The pandemic is not coming to an end and may take several more months. Hence, it is incumbent for the researchers, medical professionals, and government authorities to look for good alternative medicine that produces no or fewer side effects. And if the Cure can be from an herbal plant, then there is nothing better than this. It will be a plus point that the Cure for such a destructive pandemic lies in Nature!!

What Evidences has to Say!!

To avow that the medical Cannabis or Cannabinoids can be used as an effective treatment for COVID-19, the allopathic medicines need to be shown to diminish the symptoms of COVID-19 or the presence of the virus in a large number of patients or a group of patients suffering from COVID-19. And to date, this is not happening.
After searching the vast databases like the World Health Organization, ClinicalTrials.gov, news outlets, and FDA, it is identified that a total of 16 groups are working on developing therapies for COVID-19 by utilizing cannabinoids. Ten groups are still in the early phase, but two groups have indicated preliminary positive data in-vitro.
The two complete studies indicated positive results. Both the testing was performed in mice models of COVID related symptoms.

1. One study stated that THC protects the lungs from overactive immune responses identical to those caused by COVID-19.
2. Another study indicated an identical response when testing CBD.

The rest four studies are still planned to test the efficacy of CBD on COVID-19 in human patients.

Soon if the consumption of Medical Cannabis is found as an effective remedy for treating the symptoms of COVID-19, then a standalone document will be an essential requirement for the legal consumption of Medical Marijuana. A Medical Marijuana Card is a state identification card that enables the patients to consume and possess Medical Marijuana legally. A Medical Marijuana Card can be obtained online and offline, and both the procedure acquires the same importance if obtained from legitimate service providers.

Please apply for the Medical Marijuana Card online with My MMJ Doctors and get the legal rights to access Medical Marijuana within the state boundaries with some confinements.

Methods of Consumption of Medical Cannabis

1. Tinctures
2. Capsules
3. Vaporizer Cartridges
4. Wax
5. Shatter
6. Dababble Oil
7. Edibles

Conclusion

While coming to the conclusion phase, is it correct to say that Medical Marijuana can treat COVID-19?

Well, no. We cannot conclude that Medical Cannabis is an effective cure for COVID-19. While the premises make sense and the initial results are also good, but we still too far away from the real facts, and it will be too early to conclude it at this stage. However, Medical Cannabis is effective in treating several health conditions and includes a few symptoms of COVID-19 as well. The preliminary result outcomes on animal models or cell cultures can never conclude that they will show the same efficient results on humans. We are still in the early stage of the developing phase.