Far out, man. Far out.
That’s what a great many Americans could be saying in the coming weeks, as scientists continue to compile data showing us what the best ways to prevent a serious COVID infection from taking place.
The latest greatest weapon in the fight against coronavirus? Cannabis.
Cannabis compounds prevented the virus that causes COVID-19 from penetrating healthy human cells, according to a laboratory study published in the Journal of Nature Products.
The two compounds commonly found in hemp — called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA — were identified during a chemical screening effort as having potential to combat coronavirus, researchers from Oregon State University said. In the study, they bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people.
And, what’s even better:
“These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans,” said Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. “They have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2,” he said in a statement.
Thanks to former President Donald Trump signing the Farm Bill into effect back in 2018, cannabis is now legal in all 50 states, and the compounds tested in this study can be found in abundance both online and locally for most Americans.
