The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc upon the planet ever since it made its appearance in 2019. After all of the people that lost their lives, all of the businesses that had to close, and all of the chaos that has happened in its wake is it even fathomable to consider that the solution to the problem could have been CBDA the whole time? Believe it or not, it could be true.
Smoking Weed is NOT The Answer
Of course, there are going to be some people out there that misunderstand the way that cannabinoids such as CBDA, CBGA, and THCA work. Please don’t be mistaken and believe that smoking cannabis will introduce the proper cannabinoids into your system and help fight off the COVID-19 virus. Especially if you have the virus. Since the Rona attacks the lungs it is not recommended to smoke anything while your body is trying to fight it off.
Going out and buying a bunch of edibles, or other cannabinoid products will not do much good either. We will explain this, in detail later on.
What Are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are a little bit more complicated than most people realize. The way that they interact with the human body is quite amazing and still remains a mystery to the science world. However, what research has shown evidence of at this point is that the cannabinoids that cannabis plants produce are very similar to some of the compounds that we produce naturally within our own bodies.
In any event, cannabinoids are compounds that all of the plants that belong to the cannabis genus of plants produce. Some of the more commonly known cannabinoids are:
- THC
- CBD
- CBG
- CBN
Scientists and researchers believe that the reason for the presence of cannabinoids within the plant is for the survival of the plant, and for the promise of future plants to come.
Some of the cannabinoids act as defense mechanisms against pests and predators that would eat and damage the plant. Other cannabinoids help the flowers become attractive to pollinating insects so that the plants will have a better chance of producing offspring.
Cannabinoids With an A
Here is where we begin to discover the nuts and bolts of the discovery that CBDA and CBGA can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and possibly the symptoms as well. This is also why smoking weed or using processed CBD products will not work either.
CBDA, CBGA, THCA, and so on are the compounds in the cannabis plants that convert into their mature counterparts CBD, CBD, and THC.
CBDA is short for cannabidiolic acid. CBD, without the A, is short for cannabidiol. This is relevant because it gives a hint about what CBDA really is. All of the cannabinoids that first appear in the young cannabis plant are acids. As the plant ages, the acid fades away and leaves the remaining compound a changed cannabinoid.
THC is the cannabinoid that has the most dramatic effect on the human brain. In its original state, THCA has no effect on people. The only way that it is able to get people “high” is if it is heated and decarboxylated to the point where it converts from THCA to THC.
CBD and CBG follow the same standards. The only way that they can be effective on humans in a manner that allows the cannabinoids to interact with the human endocannabinoid system is if they are converted from CBDA and CBGA to CBD and CBG through the decarboxylation process.
Cannabinoids that have been processed and decarboxylated will not be effective in fighting COVID-19.
CBDA and CBGA Block COVID-19 Cells
In the beginning of 2022 researchers announced that there is a possibility that some of the compounds found in the cannabis plant could prevent the COVID-19 virus cells from entering cells in the human body.
According to researchers that are working with the Oregon State University, cannabidiolic acid and cannabigerolic acid can bind themselves to a protein that is in SARS-CoV2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. As these compounds bind to the spike protein they have the potential to prevent the virus from entering cells then causing infection. Since the compounds prevent the virus from entering cells it is impossible for the virus to infect the body.
The news of this discovery has shone an astounding ray of hope into the medical industry because it has the potential to offer powerful techniques to aid in the fight against this aggressive virus.
What About THCA?
The problem with testing and researching THCA is that THC is considered a controlled substance in the United States. Even though THCA does not cause the psychoactive effects on the brain as THC does, it is still considered dangerous. In any event, THCA is a controversial subject.
When the researchers conducted the study regarding cannabinoids and the possibility that they could hinder the SARS-CoV2 virus from entering the cells in the body, they learned that THCA was just as effective as CBGA and CBDA.
This is an interesting discovery, and it will be just as interesting to see how the government responds to this news. Although cannabis has been legalized in a number of states, the federal government still chooses to cling to the fact that it is dangerous and should be outlawed.
The funny thing about all of this is that THC, in its original form of THCA is just as harmless as spinach. Raw, untreated cannabis is not dangerous. If a person was to eat a whole marijuana plant without it being cooked they would not get high.
There is the potential, however, that they could be safe from the Coronavirus.
A Deeper Look into Cannabinoids
Most living beings that have spines are equipped with an endocannabinoid system that sends and receives messages throughout the body by way of endocannabinoid receptors. The peculiar thing about the endocannabinoids that humans produce is that they are very similar to the cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis plant.
The endocannabinoids that we produce on our own, connect to receptors throughout the body and send messages from the brain to different areas of the body that help to keep our systems in a state of homeostasis. What this means, in simple terms, is that the endocannabinoid system helps to keep the body in balance.
Bodily functions such as heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and metabolism are all part of this system and can be shifted in one way or another to accommodate for imbalances.
The cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis plant have the capacity to connect to our endocannabinoid system and communicate throughout the rest of our bodies exactly as if they were our own. It is as if our bodies can not tell the difference between our natural endocannabinoids and the foreign cannabinoids that are introduced to the body by various means.
The way that our bodies can use the same compounds that come from sources outside of ourselves is just another facinating mystery that the world of science has yet to uncover.
Conclusion
As these discoveries are still in their early stages it is important to keep in mind the anything that has to do with cannabinoids and the human body is complicated. Do not rush out to buy a bunch of CBD products, or eat some raw hemp in an attempt to avoid getting COVID-19. Do your research, and learn the facts. Otherwise, you might just end up causing more damage than healing.
