Cannabidiol for Viral Diseases: Hype or Hope?

Abstract

Background: The possibility of cannabidiol (CBD) to be used as an antiviral or to treat viral diseases has received limited attention so far, despite the growing number of claims that CBD could be used for the treatment of viral infection-related conditions. Aim and Methods: Therefore, we systematically retrieved and critically evaluated the scientific literature available on PubMed and the claims on the Internet, to assess the current state of knowledge on the use of CBD in viral diseases, and to provide suggestions for future research directions. Results: PubMed search referenced two original articles supporting the use of CBD for the treatment of hepatitis C and Kaposi sarcoma and one article reporting the ability of CBD to reduce neuroinflammation in a virusinduced animal model of multiple sclerosis. Internet search found 25 websites claiming more indications for CBD. Remarkably, those claims were provided mostly by commercial websites and were not supported by appropriate scientific references. Conclusion: Although preclinical studies suggest the potential effectiveness of CBD in viral diseases such as hepatitis C and Kaposi sarcoma, clinical evidence is still lacking. Anecdotal experiences of CBD use retrieved on the Internet, on the other side, lack any support from sound scientific evidence, although they might in some cases provide suggestions for conditions associated with viral infections that may deserve proper assessment in welldesigned clinical trials.

Cross-Sectional Associations Between Lifetime Use of Psychedelic Drugs and Psychometric Measures During the COVID-19 Confinement: A Transcultural Study

“…Some studies have warned about the clinical risks that cannabis users may face, since they could be more exposed to contagion and have specific vulnerabilities in terms of respiratory issues (81). However, other studies have suggested that some compounds of cannabis might be beneficial for the treatment of some COVID-19 symptoms (82)(83)(84)(85)(86). Moreover, other studies reported that cannabis use had positive effects in terms of helping individuals to cope with stressful situations, effects that could partially explain its benefits with regards to chronic disorders (87).…”

COVID-19 Prophylaxis Efforts Based on Natural Antiviral Plant Extracts and Their Compounds

“…It was also confirmed that some C. sativa extracts down-regulated another protein required for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells, the serine protease, TMPRSS2 [ 154 ]. While preclinical studies encourage the potential effectiveness of CBD in viral diseases such as Kaposi sarcoma, hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2, clinical evidence is still lacking [ 155 ].…”

Cannabinoids and the Coronavirus

“…THC or CBD may be beneficial in viral infections where the host inflammatory response is pathogenic. 7 This occurs in Covid-19: the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, for unclear reasons, triggers a cytokine storm-the production of excessive levels of cytokines-resulting in hyperinflammation. Cannabinoids could possibly be a part of a treatment regimen, with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other medications that target immune pathways, that could downregulate the cytokine storm.…”