In recent years, bacteria became more and more resistant to almost all antibiotics. It’s not surprising that we refer to these antibiotic-resistant bacteria as ‘superbugs.’ But researchers, in their exploration of new and improved antibiotics, discovered a surprising nominee: CBD or Cannabidiol, an active component of cannabis.
CBD, or Cannabidiol, according to studies, efficiently destroys bacteria, such as Gram-positive bacteria, as well as types of staph and strep bacteria and other strains of superbugs. But these are early studies. Therefore, people are advised not to use CBD yet to treat various infections.
Over the past few years, Cannabidiol (CBD) has caught the attention of researchers and healthcare scientists because of its health benefits and therapeutic effects on different types of childhood epilepsy syndromes, more specifically Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Studies also show that Cannabidiol can also be used as an anti-inflammatory and to tackle depression, anxiety, and stress.
Cannabidiol (CBD) Might Be An Efficient ‘Antibiotic’ Against Superbugs
In the lab, CBD had the same effects on bacteria as antibiotics such as vancomycin and daptomycin and even acted against bacteria that became immune to the two before-mentioned antibiotics. It also attacked bacterial biofilms, which can lead to severe infections. One of the problems of the studies is that, while the cannabis component displays antibiotic effects in the lab, the researchers do not know if CBD will have the same results and cure infections in human patients.
There are a multitude of studies that must be carried out to determine if Cannabidiol could function as an antibiotic for humans. Experiments must be made to discover the right dosage that has to be administered to destroy the superbugs in a person. Doctor Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, asserts that the studies are encouraging.
In the forthcoming period, researchers plan to start animal studies to observe what infections Cannabidiol can cure and how it destroys antibiotic-resistant bacteria or superbugs. Additionally, they are planning a clinical trial on humans to see if CBD can attack and destroy Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria to prevent infections after surgeries.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.