Cannabis shows promise blocking coronavirus infection: Alberta researcher

[Dennis Donovan]

https://calgaryherald.com/cannabis/cannabis-shows-promise-blocking-coronavirus-infection-alberta-researcher/


University of Lethbridge researcher Igor Kovalchuk is leading a study on medical cannabis as a potential therapy for COVID-19.

Bill Kaufmann
Publishing date:1 day ago

Cannabis extracts are showing potential in making people more resistant to the novel coronavirus, says an Alberta researcher leading a study.

After sifting through 400 cannabis strains, researchers at the University of Lethbridge are concentrating on about a dozen that show promising results in ensuring less fertile ground for the potentially lethal virus to take root, said biological scientist Dr. Igor Kovalchuk.

“A number of them have reduced the number of these (virus) receptors by 73 per cent, the chance of it getting in is much lower,” said Kovalchuk.

“If they can reduce the number of receptors, there’s much less chance of getting infected.”

Employing cannabis sativa strains over the past three months, the researcher said the effective balance between cannabis components THC and CBD — the latter more typically associated with medical use — is still unclear in blocking the novel coronavirus.

</snip>

[iemitsu]

1. Now that would be a funny twist of fate.

[sunonmars]

19. It would be the ultimate hilarious irony.......Get high or die.

[trof]

26. Thread winner. "Get high or die!"

[brewens]

2. Well then, seems like I'm on the right program! n/t

[Solomon]

9. (Me too)

[ZZenith]

3. Anecdotal, but so far it's working here!

[gristy]

6. !

I knew I'd find me some funny on this thread!

[pscot]

4. some details

“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,” said Kovalchuk.

“Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and avenue must be considered.”

Israeli researchers have begun clinical trials of CBD as a treatment to repair cells damaged by COVID-19 by using its anti-inflammatory abilities.

It’s thought CBD could enhance the traditional effect of steroids in such treatment of patients in life-threatening condition and also bolster the immune system.

[crickets]

16. I recently was thinking about letting my CBD subscription go...

Nope, I think can continue to cover that monthly expense after all.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. This Is Not Helping Us Then

Everything we get is very low in CBD. THCa in high % is what we almost always get.
I was hoping this news meant my wife & I were somewhat safer!
Oh, well.

[shanti]

37. You can buy

pure CBD flower online at quite a few sources. I get mine by mail from Oregon.

[safeinOhio]

42. Go on Amazon

And type in CBD Flower.

[shanti]

47. Well

I wouldn't buy any hemp product on Amazon, but that's just me.

[jberryhill]

53. Are you suggesting that there could be unscrupulous promotors and vendors on the internet?

[ProfessorGAC]

52. Yeah, But We Don't Want CBD

Guess we don't get the benefit!
We can get CBD, too. We just don't buy it.

[Baclava]

5. First Nicotine now weed? woo-hoo, smokers will inherit the earth!

[Cal Carpenter]

14. Indeed

It's so rare that these attributes come in handy

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I volunteer to go through 400 strains

[mwooldri]

8. So it's now Dr. Snoop Dogg ?

Personally I don't like the stuff but if consuming weed every day means no Rona well hey I'd happily eat those hash brownies (as long as it wouldn't interfere with my work ehehe)

[Bev54]

32. I have not indulged since my youth

but I live in Calgary and am thinking of making myself available as a guinea pig for their study.

[Initech]

50. Dr. Greenthumb, yo!

[milestogo]

10. I've never seen such a serious-looking pothead.

[Caliman73]

25. Actually, he just can't remember what he was just doing...

And he seriously needs a bag of Cheetos right now!

[Hoyt]

11. OK trump, where's my stash?

[Buns_of_Fire]

27. Jared has already bought up all available supplies for WH use.

Imagine, if you will, a mellowed-out Donnie at his next Nuremberg Rally. "'Sup, dudes!"

[Mz Pip]

12. Why couldn't it be indica?

Sativa just makes my head feel like it’s in a popcorn popper.

Still this is very good news.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Wife & I Are The Opposite

Indica & indica dominant hybrids make us too sleepy.
We're both sativa or sativa dominant fans.

[shanti]

38. Same n/t

[nolabear]

13. Hallelujah, I'm gonna live forever.

[Flaleftist]

15. This is the way

[lunasun]

17. Sativa strains? ??? That's my stuff

[druidity33]

18. Well that's good news. K&R, nt.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. I think this must be repeated in this situation ...

[sunonmars]

21. There was discussion a few weeks ago that smokers had less infection rates. Interesting.

[Miigwech]

23. Hey folks might want to invest in

... now at 19 cents. Big Canadian company with lots of experts.

iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc

[BComplex]

49. Did you buy some?

Some of their stock? Looks interesting. A member of their Board resigned today.

[Miigwech]

64. Yes, I did.

Who knows? But, this company has plenty of good people on board. You can research about this company because I have provided all you need.

[stopwastingmymoney]

58. I own Tilray and Canopy

They’ve both been in the dirt for a year or more

Too bad I’m afraid to look at my account to see 😛

[planetc]

28. Could this remove cannabis from the fed's Schedule 1 list? Nah, probably not.

[quakerboy]

29. How long till Corona Extra

claims to be covid 19 antivenom.

[Canoe52]

30. Lol, picture all those red states wanting to buy pot from the blue states where it's legal.

Maybe we could trade them pot for PPE!

[LakeArenal]

31. Woo hooo❣️❣️❣️

[Pluvious]

33. We Will Survive !

[B Stieg]

34. I must be immune.

[pbmus]

35. I am immune to Covid....

[Sophiedillo]

36. If this is true, then I'm golden

[yonder]

39. I"ve been healed I tells ya. Healed!

[Wawannabe]

60. You made me lol

Thanks!

[Snarkoleptic]

40. Welp, Snarkoleptic is marked safe then!

n/t

[totodeinhere]

41. This is interesting. But I have also heard that people should stay away from smoking pot

because of its effect on the lungs and this virus can be very hard on the lungs.

[jberryhill]

54. It does a tremendous number on the lungs...

[totodeinhere]

63. Yes any type of smoking is bad for the lungs. But someone who smokes in moderation might

have one or two joints every week, or less, whereas a tobacco smoker typically smokes much more than that every day. So on degree of danger I would put tobacco on the top of the list. And yes I know that some people smoke pot daily and that surely is not a good sign for their lungs either.

[GReedDiamond]

65. Study: Smoking Marijuana Not Linked with Lung Damage...

https://healthland.time.com/2012/01/10/study-smoking-marijuana-not-linked-with-lung-damage/

In 1985, I was a participant in Dr. Tashkin's study (which is the same study referenced in the linked article).

At the conclusion of the study, I received a report on my personal results from the test, which stated that my lungs were actually in better condition than the average non-smoking (of anything) Los Angeles area resident.

The article nicely summarizes Dr. Tashkin's findings, including the potential anti-carcinogenic properties of cannabis.

[totodeinhere]

66. That's one study.

Smoking marijuana clearly damages the human lung. Research shows that smoking marijuana causes chronic bronchitis and marijuana smoke has been shown to injure the cell linings of the large airways, which could explain why smoking marijuana leads to symptoms such as chronic cough, phlegm production, wheeze and acute bronchitis.4,9

https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts/health-effects/marijuana-and-lung-health

[GReedDiamond]

67. Yep, as is the study you cite. All I know is, as a continuing consumer...

...at 35 years later and counting, I have none of the damage cited in your post. Anecdotal as it may be.

Dr. Tashkin went into his study fully expecting to get the results of the study you cite. He was himself surprised at the results.

[totodeinhere]

69. I am happy for you that you have had no side effects. But as you said, your experience

is anecdotal. And we hear about people in their nineties in seemingly perfect health who have smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for the past fifty years. But just because it hasn't affected you that doesn't necessarily reflect the norm. It could be far more deadly for others.

[GReedDiamond]

70. My anecdotal experience is backed up by the Tashkin study...

...so I also have that going for me. You can believe your study, I'll believe mine.

Additionally, not one person I know over the last fifty years who has been a cannabis user has ever been made ill, much less died, from it.

However, I have known some people whose lives were practically destroyed for the simple "crime" of being in physical possession of small amounts of cannabis.

Many years ago, as a teenager, I was brutally beaten by the police for possessing cannabis. Fortunately for me, my lawyer was pals with the judge assigned to my case, and he got all the charges (six trumped-up felonies) dropped except for misdemeanor simple possession, for which I paid a small fine and walked free.

The beating I got from the cops resulted in the worst negative health effects I have ever had - or expect to have - associated with cannabis.

And now, here's a video called "Death Penalty For Pot" by my old band, Benedict Arnold & The Traitors:

[RandiFan1290]

55. You'll be relieved to hear that there are many other ways to consume cannabis without smoking. nt

[totodeinhere]

62. I knew that but a lot of people who use it smoke it. n/t

[NCjack]

43. What do we have to lose? Not even Jared can corner the market.

[Cha]

44. MJ helps Everything else!

[womanofthehills]

45. I think it's cookie time

[Cha]

46. Have fun!

[Jamastiene]

48. Legalize it nationwide, worldwide.

I have to admit. I am so jealous of those of you who can legally just use it in your state. I am. I'm not going to lie. Here I am a person who needs it more than anyone and can't get it because I'm surrounded by fuddy duddies in a state that won't even legalize it for medical use. NC is one cold hearted state when it comes to medical issues, health problems, mental health issues, and anything else that would require compassion. I hate my state.

And now, I find out weed could block a pandemic virus from possibly fucking my entire life up. Tell me that isn't shit luck. It's like a curse. I'm not going to shut up until it is legal nationwide in America, at least. It needs to be legal worldwide.

God, how I love Mary Jane. Back in the day, she was the best girlfriend I ever had. I wish I knew those people still but they all moved away and got a life while I changed adult diapers for 30 years with nothing to show for it now.

[Initech]

51. Now this is a medicinal program I can get behind!

[triron]

56. knr

[ooky]

57. Hope it has a residual effect.

It's been some time since I hit my last number, but when I was active, could be I stored up quite a bit of protection. Fingers crossed...

[Wawannabe]

59. Yay! WEED!

[jcgoldie]

61. Thanks I think I'll forward this to Bobby Weir...

Maybe reschedule summer tour, Dead show may be safest place to be!

[Celerity]

68. As long as it is THC-free I would think it would be fine. THC-Free CBD Oils are the only type I

would ever try, and I have no reason for it atm (in terms of COVID-19) as me and my wife already were exposed to COVID-19 and are antibody positive (per the new Roche test that has 100% accuracy in terms of false positives.)

I am totally for complete legalisation of marijuana, but I personally detest it.

[pecosbob]

71. He reminds me of Jimmy the Genius in Up in Smoke

the guy growing the iguana bud.