Medical Cannabis and Covid 19
Everyone wants to get off to a good start in the new year, but Covid 19 isn't interested.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), there are 15,015 active COVID-19 cases statewide as of January 3, 2022. Since the last update, 20 deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of deaths linked to COVID-19 to 5,356.
Cannabis’s therapeutic effects have long been known, with cannabinoids like THC and CBD commonly used to treat various symptoms. But what effect does cannabis have on COVID-19?
Cannabis has evolved from that substance your parents warned you about that only hippies used. As research into cannabis’s therapeutic properties has developed, so has the mainstream use of cannabis products. Cannabinoids like CBD and THC are prevalent because of their extensive therapeutic benefits and ease of use. With health benefits, including pain relief, improved anxiety, and reduced inflammation, it’s no wonder why cannabis products have soared in popularity.
Cannabis and COVID: Can it help?
You might be wondering if cannabis, with its outstanding medicinal power, can help battle COVID-19, the global illness that is currently afflicting everyone. COVID-19 has resulted in millions of deaths, the closure of international borders, and the near-collapse of economies. This contagious respiratory illness can leave you with a fever, exhaustion, and difficulty breathing. It has the potential to be fatal.
Cannabis shows strong potential in reducing inflammation and scarring in patients with COVID-19, but how else could cannabis help patients with COVID-19?
Compounds in cannabis like CBD and THC have also shown promise in a range of other areas, including pain relief and treating anxiety. While these therapeutic benefits have not been investigated in patients with COVID-19, they could offer exciting areas of future study.
Finding out you have COVID-19 can be a stressful time for patients. Because of its highly infectious nature, patients are isolated from friends and family. The serious and scary nature of the illness can also take a serious toll on your mental health.
Compounds within cannabis have shown impressive anxiety-reducing qualities, particularly CBD. CBD is a cannabinoid compound that could help to reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. CBD can increase serotonin activity and lower cortisol levels.
While breathing the smoke of cannabis flowers is the most frequent way to take cannabis, it is not the only route to consume cannabis' therapeutic components. The majority of cannabis research employs oil extracts, such as CBD oil.
Ingestion, vaping, nasal sprays, and topical application are all options for consuming cannabis oil. Many delivery methods bypass the lungs, omitting potentially dangerous chemicals found in smoke inhalation.
Final Thoughts
Cannabis, because to its anti-inflammatory characteristics, has shown a lot of promise in the fight against COVID-19. According to a recent study published in the journal Aging, cannabis can help COVID-19 patients by lowering a cytokine storm and protecting lung tissue from inflammatory damage.
Cannabis and its components also have other therapeutic effects, such as pain alleviation and anxiety reduction, according to research. While these may provide help for COVID-19 patients, more research on the pain-relieving and anxiety-reducing qualities of cannabis in COVID-19 patients is needed before any conclusions can be formed. Although this current research is intriguing and demonstrates the potential potency of cannabis in the fight against COVID-19, when managing COVID-19, always follow your doctor's instructions.
