Yesterday we talked about how businesses are shifting to #coronamode. Namely, that Pornhub is offering free memberships to help flatten the curve.
Now, even weed companies are reacting to the pandemic.
According to a press release, the online cannabis marketplace Cannalogue is preparing Covid-19 drug testing. That means assessing if medical cannabis could mitigate the symptoms caused by Covid-19 infection or any mutant coronavirus strains.
The company has applied to Health Canada seeking approval for a real-world clinical trial. Admittedly, it seems a bit of a stretch.
“We are not suggesting with the current knowledge of medical cannabis that it is a prevention, treatment or cure for Covid-19 or coronaviruses,” said Dr. Mohan Cooray, President and CEO of Cannalogue. “However, plant cannabinoids have naturally occurring immunomodulatory properties that absolutely require expedited investigation given the current global Covid-19 pandemic.”
Cooray points to the effects of cannabis on diseases such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Nevertheless, “to what magnitude we don’t know yet because it hadn’t been a study to the rigour of traditional pharmaceutical billion-dollar trials,” he says.
On March 6, the Canadian government announced it will commit $27 million to coronavirus research. It remains to be seen whether on that will trickle down to the cannabis industry.
