Cannabis and Covid

Hello fellow cannabis learners! It's been quite some time since my last post, but we're just going to jump right back into it. Today I wanted to talk a bit about some reading I've been doing on how cannabis and covid interact together. You might ask, why talk about covid? Isn't that so five years ago? Why yes, covid was quite a large topic in our world five years ago (and in the years since then, just lessening). I have had the blessing/luck of never having gotten covid throughout this whole time (even while working in healthcare), until this past week. I'm still not sure where I picked the virus up from, but it sure has worked its way through my house with both myself and my significant other down for the count the whole of this week. Thankfully my teenager hasn't had any symptoms of covid but he's pretty much stayed sequestered in his room watching movies away from us this week.

While covid has become normalized in our society by people saying its just the like the flu and not masking or isolating, it still is a serious illness. I know I'm not the only one who lost a loved one to covid or saw the devestating effects the virus could have on a body. Thankfully both myself and my significant other seem to have gotten a milder strain of the virus and seem to be finally on the mend. So in between boughts of coughing and resting, I've done some reading and I would like to share what I've found with you guys.

One article that stood out to me was published last year in the Journal of Cannabis Research. It reviewed several previous studies, analyzing data from more than 20 million COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

Here’s what it found:

“Significantly lower odds of mortality, mechanical ventilation, and acute pulmonary embolism among the cannabis use population compared to other COVID-19-related hospitalizations.”¹

In plain language? People who used cannabis regularly appeared to have slightly better outcomes in the hospital when fighting COVID.

One theory is that THC, stored in our body’s fat tissues, may be slowly released over time, potentially offering extended benefit. However, the study also found that CBD seems to be the true powerhouse:

“Analyzing molecular and cellular changes associated with CBD and SARS-CoV-2 suggests that CBD acts early in the infection cycle... with significantly more potent antiviral response from CBD compared to closely related compounds like THC, CBDA, CBDV, CBC, or CBG.”¹

In short: CBD may interfere with the virus early on, potentially shortening the duration or severity of illness.

This might sound counterintuitive, especially if you associate cannabis with smoking. But interestingly, inhaled cannabis in small doses and with low THC levels has shown bronchodilator effects—that means it can help open airways. To be clear: this doesn't mean lighting a joint during an asthma attack is a good idea. In fact, high-THC smoke could make things worse. But certain high-CBD, low-THC flower may help calm lung spasms and ease mild symptoms.² Cannabis has even been used as a cough suppressant since the late 1970s.³ Whether or not you choose to use cannabis while sick, please talk with your healthcare provider or a trained cannabis nurse. Cannabis is a powerful plant medicine—and it can interact with prescription or over-the-counter medications, sometimes in unexpected ways. Safe consumption always comes first.

I'm not sure about ya'll but this year has been a lot. It seems like anytime I listen to the news there's a new story of people being torn from their families, deported to countries other than their own, rights stripped away and legislation being enacted that is purposefully harmful to our vulnerable populations. The struggle is real to stay informed of what is going on in the world while also carving out space for maintaining sanity. I believe in times like this community is medicine too. Check in on your friends and loved ones. Take a breath. And keep learning—about cannabis, your health, and the things that help you feel strong, grounded, and empowered.

Stay well,

The Green Nurse Educator

References:

1. Igwe, JK., Alaribe, U. Cannabis use associated with lower mortality among hospitalized Covid-19 patients using the national inpatient sample: an epidemiological study. J Cannabis Res 6, 18 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-024-00228-w

2. 1. Backes M, Weil A, McCue JD. Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; 2017.

3. 2. Blesching U. The Cannabis Health Index: Combining the Science of Medical Marijuana with Mindfulness Techniques to Heal 100 Chronic Symptoms and Diseases. North Atlantic Books; 2015.