I woke up this past weekend feeling as if a truck hit me. I did the usual scan of, “Is it allergies? Is it a cold? Is it COVID? Is it a lack of sleep?”. I knew that exhaustion was a possibility - with my dog’s senior reverse-sleep habits, combined with a night of having a couple of beers and rounding out the evening with my usual hit or two of cannabis. So my initial thoughts were, I must need some rest. It wasn’t until two days later that I started to panic a little when I still didn’t feel rested or quite like myself.

I exhibited no other symptoms outside of a headache and severe exhaustion. “It can’t be COVID. God, please don’t let it be COVID”. I have my vaccine and have received a booster back in November, but more and more I was hearing of friends who had the same vaccine regimen as I did and were still getting COVID. As I laid awake, fighting off the exhaustion Wednesday morning before work, I saw a headline that caught my eye. “Study Finds Cannabis Compounds Prevent Infection By Covid-19 Virus”. Wait, what? Do my eyes deceive me? Is there hope after all that my daily cannabis usage could actually protect me from the dreaded ‘rona? I read on with enthusiasm as I knew that no matter what the outcome was, I still had hope that I had not gotten COVID.

Cannabis Helps, But Not How You Think

The news spread like wildfire that cannabis can help prevent Covid. And of course, pot smokers rejoiced by sharing the news on social media. However, after reading several articles on the subject, it clearly specified how cannabis helps.

“Compounds in cannabis can prevent infection from the virus that causes Covid-19 by blocking its entry into cells, according to a study published this week by researchers affiliated with Oregon State University. The researchers found that two cannabinoid acids commonly found in hemp varieties of cannabis, cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, also known as CBDA, can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. By binding to the spike protein, the compounds can prevent the virus from entering cells and causing infection, potentially offering new avenues to prevent and treat the disease” (Herrington, 2022).

In layman's terms, the parts in the hemp plant that break down into CBG and CBD are the parts that seem to prevent Covid. Nowhere in that article do they mention THC and there is a reason for that - it is still a federally illegal drug that has limitations placed on what can and can’t be studied about the cannabis plant. So wait, smoking cannabis isn’t going to help? Unfortunately, from the beginnings of this research there is no way of telling since they are limited to studying the parts of the hemp plant that aren’t psychoactive when smoked or ingested. “When heated, the compound tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) becomes THC and has a different chemical profile and different properties. Most obviously, it becomes psychoactive. It also has been shown to be helpful in treating ailments including epilepsy, nausea, chronic pain, and multiple sclerosis symptoms, according to the The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal agency” (Theisen, 2022).

Cannabis For The Win

Even though they aren’t saying that THC isn’t quantified by studies as a helpful agent in the prevention of Covid, I’m going to believe that it is. As others around me continue to test positive for Covid despite their vaccines, I am going to hope and pray that my vaccines and my cannabis usage are direct links as to how I’ve remained unscathed from this terrible virus. Long story short, I tested negative for Covid twice this past week, feel fully refreshed and count my lucky stars that I am a cannabis user.

Perhaps what those Oregon researchers have done is allowed for more optimism as we all keep battling the internal questions of, “is it a cold, covid or allergies?”. And despite the research limitations, maybe, just maybe, cannabis (including THC) will save the day. As we enter our junior year of this dreaded pandemic, we can all use a little cannabis optimism.

Resources:

Herrington, A.J. Study Finds Cannabis Compounds Prevent Infection By Covid-19 Virus. Forbes. 2022, January 11. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2022/01/11/study-finds-cannabis-compounds-prevent-infection-by-covid-19-virus/?sh=601c4c301753.

Theisen, Tiffini. Sorry, pot smokers: Research on cannabis to fight COVID studied hemp compounds, not THC. Orlando Sentinel. 2022, January 13. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/os-ne-coronavirus-research-on-cannabis-to-fight-covid-studied-hemp-compounds-20220113-h7tqf3cdo5g6rdu7ymz4ayqxom-story.html.