In the study, the compounds bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people.
BY KANOKO MATSUYAMA AND BLOOMBERG
January 12, 2022 4:45 AM EST
Cannabis compounds prevented the virus that causes COVID-19 from penetrating healthy human cells, according to a laboratory study published in the Journal of Nature Products.
The two compounds commonly found in hemp — called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA — were identified during a chemical screening effort as having potential to combat coronavirus, researchers from Oregon State University said. In the study, they bound to spike proteins found on the virus and blocked a step the pathogen uses to infect people.