Mask mandates and other pandemic protocols might be disappearing around the US but that doesn’t mean patents are. A patent application for treating SARS-CoV-2 with an antiviral composition containing cannabinoids as the active ingredient was published on March 31, 2022. Patent Publication No. 2022/0096425 entitled “Antiviral Composition for SARS-CoV-2 Containing Cannabinoids as Active Ingredient” and assigned to the Research Cooperation Foundation of Yeungnam University and the Korea Insitute of Science and Technology specifically describes the use of delta-9 THC, cannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabidiolic acid for treating COVID-19. The cannabinoids bind to SARS-CoV-2 receptors and inhibit its action in infecting cells. A daily dosage of the antiviral composition sits at anywhere from 0.01 to 75 mg/day. 

The researchers involved in the patent publication found that delta-9 THC and CBD have stronger antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 than the reference drugs lopinavir, chloroquine, and remdesivir which have been used, under some circumstances, to assist in the treatment of COVID-19. In the US, there are three active clinical trials with two recruiting people and one not yet recruiting. Early studies have shown some effectiveness for using cannabinoids to treat COVID-19 but have not been definitively proven. What is known is, smoking cannabis can put someone at an increased risk for COVID-19, especially vaping illegal market cannabis containing vitamin E, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. So a therapeutic including cannabinoids will have to be ingested or absorbed through membranes to have a positive effect on COVID-19.  

Researchers have made it clear that using cannabinoids is not an alternative to vaccination and other preventative measures such as wearing masks and social distancing. As restrictions for the pandemic dwindle and new cases decrease, will researchers and companies be able to prove cannabis’s efficacy in treating COVID-19 in time? Many companies are exploring this therapeutic as an option for combating COVID-19. Explore all companies through the Cannabis Patent Forecast® to stay in the loop and find out who they are!