Just today research data on CBD in the fight against COVID-19 was released after a clinical trial was started in the midst of the panic of the pandemic last year. A team of dozens of high-level cannabinoid medicine scientists and scholars from Brazil and Israel led by famed Professor Raphael Mechoulam recruited 321 patients from Emergency Rooms to gain the most accurate data possible. The virus-positive patients have participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine truly how effective the cannabinoid could treat those with mild to moderate symptoms. 

The primary outcome was a reduction or prevention of the deterioration in clinical status from mild/moderate to severe/critical measured with the COVID-19 Scale or the natural course of the resolution of typical clinical symptoms per the findings of the Clinical Trial. In the conclusion of this trial, researchers found that daily doses of CBD (only the one cannabinoid) at 300mg didn't alter the outcome of the progression of the virus - but it's important to note that not one of the participants became 'severe' after the use of CBD. 

Within the findings of the study Mechoulam and the team stated that although they didn't find a significant alteration in the progression of the mild/moderate patients - they're not stopping there. Within the conclusion, it states "Considering the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and safe profile of CBD, future double-blind trials assessing whether this compound could act as an effective preventive agent for chronic post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms are necessary and suitable. Such a study is underway by our research group." 

Many in the know have long awaited the team led by Mechoulam to report on this clinical trial as there's other research that shows that CBD with Terpenes has efficacy but not within such a controlled study on humans. Some may find this as a negative outcome but it's far from that - the study was based on a 300-milligram dose in one delivery system. It's the GCRC's position that one cannabinoid delivered in one specified way is extremely limiting with the type of tools we have in our cannabinoid war chest against deadly enemies such as COVID-19. But, with these types of trials, it must be extremely controlled - and this is why the team is engaged in yet another trial at a higher dosage with delivery routes we're not yet aware of. 

It's important that we consider all studies and not pick and choose what pleases our eyes to read - this aggressive team decided long before this was published to increase the dosage and look at far more than mild and moderate cases. The concentration of this first study was in trying to stop cases from becoming severe where the concentration on what they're working on now has expanded into the treatment of severe cases - what comes next should be much more detailed information that gives us a strong grasp on what the cannabinoid can do and at what dosages in controlling the symptoms of this global killer. 

Discussion and Conclusion: (Please subscribe to the Mary Ann Liebert Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Journal of Medicine to gain the full research study as it is copyrighted - the PDF was just released this morning 10/12/2021) 

Discussion: 

Daily administration of 300 mg CBD for 14 days to patients with a recent diagnosis of COVID-19 with mild or moderate severity was safe but did not alter the clinical evolution in the first 28 days of follow-up. The results do not confirm the suggestions that CBD could have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 owing to its antiinflammatory (especially concerning cytokines)1–3,5–14 and antiviral2,4,5,15 effects. However, this result should be considered with caution because the patients had mild or moderate forms of COVID-19, with low inflammation levels.23,30,31 Besides, a uniform dose of 300 mg/day was tested, and the dose-dependent effects of CBD are well known.32 Thus, it is possible that greater inflammation levels are necessary to respond to CBD, or that higher CBD doses are needed to observe anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. Moreover, CBD did not show anxiolytic or anti-depressive effects, which also does not confirm previous literature showing anxiolytic properties of this dose.5,16–21 However, as in the case of inflammation, patients did not have high anxiety and depression levels at baseline (mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores < 10). In addition, all the patients received significant support, with repeated visits of nurses at the residence and remote daily monitoring by the physician. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first trial assessing the effects of CBD in COVID-19 patients, and the largest assessing inflammatory measures in a clinical sample with an infectious disease. Limitations of the trial include its short follow-up duration, single intervention dose, two-center design, and the inclusion of only patients with mild and moderate forms of the infection. 

Conclusion:

 Daily administration of 300 mg CBD for 14 days failed to alter the clinical evolution of COVID-19. Further trials with patients with different severity levels of COVID-19 and CBD doses are necessary to confirm the absence of effects of CBD in the clinical course of COVID-19 observed in our study. Finally, considering the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and safe profile of CBD, future double-blind trials assessing whether this compound could act as an effective preventive agent for chronic post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms are necessary and suitable. Such a study is underway by our research group."

  -Mike Robinson, Founder - Global Cannabinoid Research Center 

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