At the beginning of this new year of 2022, a news story about how cannabis can help fight COVID-19 was picked up by many non-cannabis media. These articles reported the findings of a study by Oregon State University into the effect that cannabis has on the cellular pathways that the COVID virus (an acronym for coronavirus disease) uses to invade the body.
While this research is certainly worth celebrating, the reality behind the message can be easily misunderstood in this age of social media. It seems that every time a positive clinical study relating to cannabis and COVID comes out, the world gets excited about the medical potential of weed as a miracle medicine to end the pandemic. Then later, when the details begin to emerge, the clickbait headlines disappear like leaves in the wind.
Fortunately, almost everyone in the cannabis industry kept a level head in the face of this study and affirmed that no, cannabis doesn't prevent or cure coronavirus, although it does have the potential to help in a number of ways. Firstly, it can reduce the spread of the virus by binding to the receptors that the virus uses to infect the body. Secondly, it can reduce symptoms associated with the virus, since cannabis has natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Therefore, cannabis, to a certain extent, cannot cure COVID or stop you from contracting the virus. Still, it's important to understand that it's too early to make assumptions, especially when many people claim that cannabis use is the reason they haven't had COVID-19 yet. For this reason, it is necessary to take a closer look at existing research on how cannabis might help (or harm) people against coronavirus.
Let's review the most notable scientific studies to date.
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