THC could treat the fatal complications of COVID-19

Researchers at the University of South Carolina believe that the THC may be effective in treating life-threatening complications of the coronavirus, according to three recently published studies.

Their studies revealed that THC can prevent a harmful immune response in mice that causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and leads to a significant increase in beneficial bacteria in the lungs.

The studies, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, the British Journal of Pharmacology and the‘International Journal of Molecular Sciences’, were conducted by administering a toxin to mice that triggers the immune response responsible for ARDS, and then giving them THC.

«The underlying mechanism is that your immune system goes haywire and starts destroying your lungs and all your other organs,» Nagarkatti said of ARDS. «It’s like a car that’s accelerating but whose brakes aren’t working,» he declared Nagarkatti. «Basically, what’s going to happen is that your car is going to crash because you can’t stop it. And that’s essentially what’s happening with the SRDA.»

During the dozens of experiments across the three separate studies, 1,00% of the mice that received THC survived, Nagarkatti said.

While laboratory results in mice do not always directly translate to real-world results in humans, Nagarkatti was blown away by how effective THC was in treating ARDS. The experiments were so effective that Nagarkatti recommended that health officials begin human trials with THC.

«I just want to make sure our research isn’t interpreted as suggesting that cannabis is effective against COVID-19,» Nagarkatti said. «If you start using THC early on, it could worsen the effects [of the virus] because it suppresses the immune system.» ”

This is not the first study to show that cannabis compounds may be useful in treating COVID-19. A study by the University of Nebraska and the Biomedical Research Institute from Texas suggests that CBD could help combat inflammation caused by COVID-19.