A new study published in the Journal of Natural Products is causing a stir in the cannabis world.  The study, entitled “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV‐2 and the Emerging Variants” is a look at how cannabinoids affect the entry point of SARS-COV-2 (Covid) and the early variants.  The entry point for Covid is well known and a receptor called ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2).  This receptor basically is an entry point from the outside, through your lungs, and into your coronary system.  In the coronary system oxygen is combined with red blood cells and this is EXACTLY what covid likes to disrupt.

 

Blocking the ACE2 receptor is an effective strategy against Covid.  This is the mechanism of action of Ivermectin which has shown tremendous promise in altering the trajectory of Covid.  At GnuPharma we have a product called Defender which contains licorice, a known blocker of the ACE2 receptor.  Other natural products will also block this receptor including mugwort and wormwood.

 

From the research conducted and summarized in the paper, it is looking like CBD-A, CBG-A, and THC-A all influence the ACE2 receptor.  They don’t block it, but they modify it enough to block the entry of Covid.  CBG-A, CBD-A, and THC-A all exist in large quantities in unprocessed hemp.  Processing of hemp usually involves decarboxylation (breaking off the acid) of the cannabinoids.  This study found that the decarboxylated version of the cannabinoids had NO effects on the ACE2 receptor.

 

This is EXCELLENT news for hemp farmers.  Hemp has traditionally been monetized for translation into decarboxylated cannabinoids as they are more neurologically active.  Providing cannabinoids in their acid form can be done in the form of leaves, stems, stalks, and flowers with NO PROCESSING needed.