Over the last few weeks, not a single day has gone by without a mention of the deadly disease Ebola. Now that the disease has made its way into North America, it has made people to be gripped with panic. Many people are worried that it is just a matter of time before Ebola dominates the continent.
Effective treatments and vaccines for the disease are yet to be discovered, although there may be one in plain sight: cannabis. Doctors suggest that marijuana can protect you from Ebola! Is this true? The answer is yes.
As the Ebola virus continues to spread and become a worldwide concern, researchers and scientists are desperate to find effective ways of combating the deadly virus. Should the outbreak continue growing unchecked, the virus is likely to take down a significant percentage of the world’s population. Top Ebola researchers have detailed their findings that the virus has genetically sequenced in huge numbers of victims. Given that it mutates quickly, creating a serum capable of treating all victims is highly unlikely. To try and diagnose each victim’s strain and then find an effective common treatment would be an exercise in futility. The infection and death rate has and will always continue to be substantial, even considering the best case scenarios. While scientists continue struggling to come up with a vaccine, anti-retrovirals contained in cannabis are likely to be an effective treatment. Scientists believe that it can greatly reduce the mortality rate as well as be of beneficial clinical use.
Dr. David B. Allen, the medical director at Cannabis Sativa Inc. and a retired vascular surgeon is of the opinion that cannabis can be used to offer protection from the Ebola virus. Cannabinoids may be among the best treatments out there for fighting diseases. They refer to any of the several related compounds, including annabinol and the active cannabis constituents. They play the role of activating cannabinoid receptors in the body. Compounds known as endocannabinoids are produced by the body and contribute to many processes in the body that assist in creating a healthy environment. This fact has resulted in several doctors suggesting that cannabinoids can in turn offer sufficient protection against viral infections.
According to Dr. Allen, there is scientific evidence that cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD) are capable of controlling the human immune system and offering protection against viral infections such as HIV. Cannabis has already been proven to inhibit bacteria and fungus. It can now be perceived as a new antimicrobial class due to its mechanism of action that is different from other antimicrobials. The Ebola virus is a complicated RNA viral organism that spurs the cell to engulf is through pinocytosis. The virus then hijacks the cell in order to replicate itself. Such a replication can involve numerous mutations within the RNA code, making it difficult or impossible to come up with an effective vaccine. There are certain United States patents that provide evidence proving that cannabinoids possess significant anti-viral activity.
In addition, Dr. Allen notes that cannabis is already a legitimate regulator of the various processes of the immune system in the case of HIV victims. It is possible to apply the same processes to the Ebola virus. Since cannabis is a natural virus killer, Allen also notes that it can prevent other harmful Ebola consequences, such as cell leaking and hemorrhaging. Strong evidence gives the perception that cannabis can be used as a positive treatment for Ebola victims, but it is something to take with a grain of salt. They are merely hypotheses that are based on research on other viruses, and are yet to be proven facts. All in all, the argument is enough to warrant a clinical trial.
Given that the Ebola has reached other parts of the world apart from Africa, scientists are desperate to find effective ways of combating it. There are hopes that anti-retroviral drugs based on cannabis could offer an effective treatment against Ebola. Ebola has deadly consequences as a result of the abnormal immune response that the infection triggers. It ultimately destroys the body’s defenses and damages the internal organs, leading to fatal hemorrhages.
First, it is important to know about Ebola and what it does in order to understand the argument. The Ebola virus targets the RNA in cells that creates proteins, takes over and then starts to replicate itself. The virus creates invisibility cloak-like surface proteins so that it can hide itself from cells that kill viruses. This makes fighting Ebola particularly difficult for the body. Another effect of Ebola being an RNA virus is that each strain is unique to the person infected; hence creating a widely applicable vaccine becomes rather difficult.
What makes the Ebola virus deadly is the manner in which a victim’s immune system reacts with time. Apart from creating leaking between cells and hemorrhaging, Ebola mainly kills when a victim’s body releases a huge amount of enzymes. Also, it causes an overabundant and usually fatal amount of immune cells to be activated. The virus causes cells to secrete proteins capable of concealing it from the immunological system. It spreads rather quickly due to its aggressiveness, since the infected cells are incapable of defending themselves. It is through this way that the virus overwhelms the immunological system, destroying the defensive cells circulating through the blood.
These cells give off enzymes known as cytokines when they die; substances that, despite being in moderate amounts, warns the immune system to secrete more defenses. Through the destroying of huge amounts of immune cells, the Ebola virus produces what is referred to in medical terms as a cytokine storm. This storm causes DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation) whereby tiny blood clots occur in all the arteries. This prompts blood vessels to dilate and tear in what is referred to as Toxic Shock Syndrome that causes irreversible damage to the surrounding tissues.
This is where marijuana comes in a likely saving grace for Ebola victims. Cannabis contains natural anti-retrovirals, while it is also an anti-inflammatory capable of reducing the harm to the body resulting from a cytokine storm. Cannabinoids are known to prevent and reduce both DIC and Toxic Shock. In addition, they halt the secretion of a chemical substance called VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor). This substance degrades the union between cells, resulting in a fluid leak between them and eventually hemorrhaging and bleeding.
Scientists have found out that this mechanism also halts the growth of blood vessels that are responsible for brain tumors. This is seen in the case of GBM (glioblastoma multiforme), which is among the most difficult to treat types of cancers. Research on this interaction offers an explanation on how it can be stopped. It is THC in this case that inhibits the expression of genes needed to produce the factor responsible for stimulating the emergence of such blood vessels.
Researchers have demonstrated that cannabinoids can significantly curb not just bacteria and fungi, but also viruses such as Hepatitis C and HIV. They regulate the immune response of the body to infection through various mechanisms that cannot be found in any other type of medication. This is because cannabinoids are among nature’s best antiretroviral drugs, i.e. those specifically for retrovirus infections. When compared to other antimicrobial agents, they can even be considered a new antibiotics class.
The quick manner in which the Ebola virus mutates precludes the creation of effective vaccine for the treatment of all victims. Therefore, the diagnosis of each victim’s strain together with searching for a common treatment is not possible. At the moment, the most advanced option involves treating victims with a cocktail of antibodies known as Zmapp. These are laboratory molecules produced from genetically modified tobacco plants, which mimic the immune response of the body. The good news is that cannabis is another plant species capable of making a major contribution here.
There are patents in the US showing that cannabinoids have a significant antiviral impact on the Ebola virus, in addition to performing a regulation of the immune systems. This may be key to the survival of HIV patients as well as survival for Ebola victims. According to Dr. Allen, it is reasonable to argue that the inhibition of VEGF by cannabinoids in the course of an Ebola infection will assist victims survive the deadly virus. This is because control of cytokines release is the key to treatment. Cannabinoids are anti-inflammatory in addition to being anti-retroviral, something that could also diminish the cytokine storm effects, thus preventing complications that may arise from hemorrhaging. State and Federal laws represent a serious obstacle to research and progress into cannabis’ curative properties. Another obstacle is the restrictions on research that hampers all the firms that are not part of the major pharmaceutical groups. However, it is important to start tests on human beings that will determine the effects of cannabis on Ebola victims. This is due to the current climate; a medical emergency and given the fact that cannabis is quite safe, particularly under medical supervision. If there is a chance that cannabis can check the propagation of this deadly virus, it is worth putting every available resource into it, irrespective of the political restrictions currently in place.
The ongoing Ebola scare appears to be going viral on the World Wide Web. There are all sorts of theories being posted on the internet, ranging from how to stop the virus to how it can be used as a bio-weapon. Something that is interesting is that apparently, some citizens of West African countries are making various claims. According to some claims, the only victims who have contracted the virus are those who have received treatment. Apart from such claims, the internet is now flooded with likely natural cures as well as various ways individuals can boost their immune system; with cannabis being one of them.
It is difficult to say whether the ongoing Ebola scare is being overstated. There are numerous pieces of information going around claiming hoaxes and such things. The truth is that it is hard to tell, while it is certain that all the pieces are not being put together. People are better off looking at this as if it is factual rather than merely assuming it is a lie. However, this does not mean jumping straight to the cannabis vaccine. It appears that claims emanating from other areas apart from the western media tell a different story. The state that what is actually taking place in countries where Ebola is more common is not the same as what is being reported in the western media. The fact that the US government patented the virus a few years ago also appears to be causing a lot of confusion. This is done so that corporations and governments can make profits from it, for instance, the vaccine set to be issued in a few months’ time.
If there is something to be worried about, then it has to be vaccine itself. What happened in the case of the H1N1 vaccine is worth bearing in mind. The vaccine was rushed to the market, causing injuries to a lot of people. This demonstrates that more people are losing faith in the corporate media, while finding real truthful information is becoming more difficult.
Sufficient research has already been done; with the current proof of cannabinoids killing other diseases is overwhelming, for instance, Lyme disease. At the moment, cannabis is undergoing research as a natural substance for fighting HIV. It is also being utilized to build up the immune system of the body, considering that it is among nature’s best anti-retrovirals. According to the results of worldwide researches conducted so far, cannabis has myriad therapeutic uses and significant medical potential. However researchers working on its likelihood of curing Ebola are at a further disadvantage. This is in that they are not allowed to work with the Ebola strain since the required Level 4 Bio-Safety laboratory is way beyond the reach of such kind of research. All in all, time has come for the properties of cannabis to be applied in the search for an Ebola cure.