Oregon COVID-19: Scientists Say That Hemp May Come To the Rescue

PORTLAND, OR — There are some hemp compounds that may provide a key to stopping the spread of COVID-19. That's the word from Oregon State University where researchers say that they've used a special technique to determine that certain parts of hemp has the ability to stop the virus from entering the body.

The scientists stress that when they talk about hemp, they are not talking about marijuana.

Richard van Breeman, who led the study, said that they identified specific cannabinoid acids found in hemp attach to the SARS-COV 2 spoke protein, the protein that causes COVID-19, As a result, it interrupts if not stops the process of the virus infecting people.

?These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts," van Breemen said. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans.

Van Breeman said that their research demonstrated that the process worked against several of the early variants of COVID-19 – alpha and beta – but not delta and omicron.