GWPH - Cannabis May Show Promise in Treating COVID-19. Here's What It Means for the Pot Industry.
A recent study from the University of Lethbridge shows that certain strains of cannabis can inhibit viral activity caused by the novel coronavirus. Do the results point to a potential treatment for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and, if so, will it act as a catalyst for the cannabis industry?
Like all other respiratory viruses, coronavirus is transmitted through tiny respiratory droplets ejected during a cough or sneeze from an infected patient. After a healthy patient inhales such droplets, the virus facilitates its entry into its new host by attaching itself to cellular receptors in lung, intestinal, and oral tissues via angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2). Recently, the scientific community has reached a consensus that ACE2 is the main cellular receptor responsible for COVID-19's entry into host cells.
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