If Cannabis Is A Potential Way To Prevent COVID-19 Then Why Is Trump Blocking Research?

Boing Boing presents these words from our sponsor: Real Tested CBD.

Forbes is reporting, two Canadian researchers think that a special strain of cannabis might potentially be a valuable tool in the fight against COVID-19. (Source: April issue of the online medical journal Preprints)

First, it is important to note that it would be very difficult to do such research in the US because the Federal government continues to block research on cannabis.

See: After 4-year delay, DEA will review dozens of requests to grow marijuana for research.

Second, the published information is limited because the research is based on proprietary strains of cannabis, plus the researchers do not yet seem certain about which ingredients and which ratios are key.

They do say, Cannabis sativa, especially one high in the anti-inflammatory cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), has been proposed to modulate gene expression and inflammation and harbour anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties... Working under the Health Canada research license, we have developed over 800 new Cannabis sativa lines and extracts and hypothesized that high-CBD C. sativa extracts may be used to modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 target tissues.

They add, The extracts of our most successful and novel high CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy They can be used to develop easy-to-use preventative treatments in the form of mouthwash and throat gargle products for both clinical and at-home use. Such products ought to be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral mucosa. Read the rest