Cannabis compounds prevented the coronavirus from infecting healthy cells in a lab, showing promise that the compounds might prevent COVID-19 infection, according to a recent study.
Researchers from Oregon State University discovered the two chemical compounds commonly found in hemp — cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) — had the potential to keep COVID-19 from forming.
According to the study, the compounds bound to the virus’s spike proteins blocked the process in the pathogen’s development where it usually infects people.
The researchers tested the compounds’ effects against two variants in a laboratory. No human subjects were involved.
“These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans,” Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, told Bloomberg News. “They have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2,” he said in a statement.
Hemp compounds have been used as a source of fiber, food for humans and animals, and their extracts are used in body lotions, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and other food products.
