Duuuude! Cannabis May Prevent COVID-19 Virus From Entering Human Cells

Duuuude, what? Cannabis vs. COVID? Well, yes but maybe not exactly how you think. Grabbing marijuana and partaking in some... erm, THC, isn't going to stave off infection from COVID-19 exposure, sadly. But, grabbing some hemp just might.

Hemp compounds could prevent the coronavirus from entering human cells

Hemp, A.K.A. cannabis sativa, is a very common and very legally and readily available ingredient in many products. Extracts are often added to cosmetics, it's used as animal feed, it's high (hehe) in fiber, and can be found as a food additive as well. But now, according to researchers at Oregan State University, there's a chance it can also prevent COVID-19 from entering human cells.

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Without getting too in the weeds here (hehehe), I'll keep it simple. The study shows cannabinoid acids seem to bind to the COVID-19 spike protein. Simply put, that stops the virus from infecting the body. If this study proves to be accurate and applies to more than the sample group used, this could be a huge breakthrough as hemp is has a good safety profile in people, it's legal with no need to rush to Illinois to purchase, and could remain effective against future variants as well.

Hemp can be purchased and used as a dietary supplement. This does beg the question, and the Funyons, would other marijuana compounds also be effective? I'm sure plenty of people would line up to find out if it does.