As we enter into the pandemic’s final stages, multiple studies have shown that weed can be a helpful feature of COVID-19 recovery, which means I should have no problem vanquishing the virus. Why don’t you keep the coronavirus at bay while we look at what each marijuana COVID study says about marijuana and COVID recovery?
In August, a small marijuana COVID study performed by Israeli cannabis research and development firms revealed that a combination of terpenes, aromatic compounds found in weed, and CBD displayed “significant anti-inflammatory activity.” According to the researchers, that combination could be useful in treating cytokine storms, an overproduction of immune cells commonly associated with serious cases of COVID-19. (An American study performed in June came to a similar conclusion, showing that “treatment with THC led to 100 percent survival of mice.”)
In January, a Canadian study unveiled similar results: Using 3D-printed skin tissue, researchers found that cannabis stymied cytokine storms and reduced risks of developing pulmonary fibrosis, permanent scarring of the lungs (again, an American study completed in the same month showed comparable results). For optimal COVID-slaying effects, the study’s authors recommend smoking the whole plant, as opposed to taking concentrated CBD or other isolated forms of cannabis, since they believe the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes play a large part in the plant’s healing powers.
The research has been so promising, in fact, that a team of Israeli researchers at Rabin Medical Center at Beilinson have already tested CBD on 11 patients with serious cases of the coronavirus. Eight improved and were released within 30 days, while three sadly passed away due to their illness. The results, according to the researchers, were nonetheless positive, and they’re recruiting more patients to participate in a continued study of CBD’s effects on the coronavirus.
- Read Next: Will Marijuana Make My Cold Worse?
Importantly, however, the Rabin Medical Center researchers and hospital staff — as well as other COVID and weed researchers — emphasized that, while cannabis appeared to halt the decline of some patients with coronavirus, it’s still too early to say that weed was the definite cause, hence the reason why they’re continuing their research.
But if they’re right about marijuana and COVID recovery, the fight against COVID-19 just got a lot more chill.
Ian Lecklitner
Ian Lecklitner is a staff writer at MEL Magazine. He mostly writes about everyone's favorite things: Sex, drugs and food.
