Fight a Cold with Cannabis?

The cold is the most common illness known, bringing the sneezing, scratchy throat and runny nose that we're all familiar with. People in the United States have an estimated 1 billion colds each year.

Rhinoviruses are a major cause of the common cold and may contribute to about half of asthma flare-ups. Researchers have now completed sequencing the genomes of all the known rhinovirus types, setting the stage for the development of medications and vaccines to combat the viruses.

More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold. An estimated 30 - 35% of all adult colds are caused by rhinoviruses. In people with asthma, particularly children, rhinovirus infections are also frequently associated with flare-ups. Scientists had previously identified 99 distinct rhinovirus types. (1)

Learn more about if and how Cannabis can help fight the common cold.

A bad flu season or a strange Coronavirus from the opposite side of the world makes one think, can Cannabis use prevent illnesses from viruses? Typically for me, I do not catch the flu, and do not get the flu shot, but will catch a little bug or two throughout the year. Most of the time, it seems as though "it" never hits full potential and rarely does it sideline me from a day of work...but don't tell my boss that. The worst part is a sore throat that limits the ability and will to smoke Cannabis.

The truth is, Cannabis does not fight the common cold, flu or strange Coronaviruses emanating from China and can potentially make them worse. However, Cannabis can help relieve pain of common cold symptoms.

Cannabis Does Not Fight the Common Cold Virus, Flu or Strange Viruses Emanating From China

Cannabis' claim to fame is the ability to reduce inflammation... and inflammation is a process by which the body's white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. (4)

Cannabinoids may act either through the CB₁ or the CB₂ receptor, which are found on distinct cell types. The CB₁ receptor is found on neurons as well as some astrocytes and skeletal muscle cells; neurons are frequently the target of viral infection. Engagement of the CB₁ receptor by its endogenous or exogenous agonists (Phyto-Cannabinoids) may inhibit the release of Ca²⁺ from intracellular or extracellular stores. Since many important intracellular proteins are Ca²⁺-dependent for activation, signal transduction through the CB₁ receptor may impair these secondary pathways and have a profound influence on the ability of viruses to replicate in neurons. (3) In most of the infections studied, it is apparent that Cannabinoid treatment, whether in vitro or in vivo, had profound impact on the virus-host (cell) interactions. For HSV-2 (Herpes simplex virus type 2), HIV-1, KSHV (Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus), influenza and VSV (Vesicular stomatitis virus) viral replication, or surrogate measures of infection, were found to be substantially increased upon Cannabinoid treatment. (3)

Contrary to, the response of cells expressing the CB₂ receptor may influence not only the responses in that cell, but may alter the course of the host innate and adaptive immune response to the pathogen, suppressing inflammation and the development of virus-specific cellular and humoral responses. The outcome on the viral infection will depend on whether inflammation is beneficial or pathogenic in the specific case. (3) In those infections where host inflammatory responses are often associated with pathology, and not with clearance and recovery, Cannabinoid treatment of hosts was beneficial. Cannabinoids may relieve pain and may induce hyperphagia, which could be beneficial in cancer; these physiological characteristics are not relevant to most viral, bacterial fungal or parasitic infections, where the regulation of inflammation is central to controlling pathogen replication and immunopathology. The same anti-inflammatory properties of Cannabinoids just described are detrimental to the host in handling the other infections. In most cases, a rapid and robust inflammatory response, associated with production of proinflammatory cytokines and effect T lymphocytes capable of eliminating infected cells is essential to recovery and survival. (3)

And note, every individual has unique Endocannabinoid and Immune Systems and may react differently.

What I Do When I am Sick?

The urge to smoke is naturally suppressed when sick and the pain incurred with a sore throat...double, triples that sentiment. I found administering a tincture and letting it slide down the throat and gargling helps relieve pain. I have had success with several Cannabinoid ratios: THC, 4:1 CBD:THC and 2:1 CBD:THC, and both dispensary bought and homemade. Several doses a day helps to relieve the pain of the sore throat but it does not stop the cold virus and its natural progression. And smoking can quickly negate the pain relieving side effects of the tincture...but that first smoke is not as bad.

Another way to help relieve your cold virus symptoms is with Canna-honey. You can add it to your hot tea or water, lemon and honey drink, or as a substitute for a tincture.

POTENTIAL DRUG INTERACTIONS

CBD is metabolized via the cytochrome P450 system (6), mainly by isozymes located in the liver (7). Most drug interactions are associated with concurrent use of other Central Nervous System depressants with Cannabis. In clinical research, drug interactions are rare and there is no drug that cannot be used with Cannabis, if necessary. Existing studies have not demonstrated toxicity/loss of effect of comitant medications, but still theoretically possible. A known exception is a high dose of CBD/Clobazam with a side-effect of drowsiness caused by a sedating metabolite, N-deesmethyl Clozabam that requires a dose reduction (7, 8, 9).

If you are taking a medication that says "Do Not Take With Grapefruit", taking CBD in tincture, pill capsule or edible form could cause you to have too much of your medication in your bloodstream. This could cause unwanted side effects. This can happen with common drugs including warfarin, taken by millions for blood clots, and antidepressants like Zoloft. (11) Dr. Michele Ross, PhD writes in her book, Vitamin Weed: A 4-Step Plan to Prevent and Reverse Endocannabinoid Deficiency, ways to mediate the risk include lowering your dose of medication under your doctor's guidance or lowering your dose of CBD to a dose that causes minimal inhibition of P450 enzymes.

If you take prescription medicines for blood pressure or central nervous system or are a sensitive patient, we recommend consulting a Medical Cannabis Practitioner (Canna-Nurse). CBD can lower blood pressure (10) precaution must be taken. My father, who was battling Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma, had a blood pressure event when I switched his Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO), also referred to as Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), to a CBD dominant strain.

References
1) National Institute of Health, Understanding a Common Cold Virus; April 13, 2009 — Link
2) Sabrina Felson, MD, What is "cold season" in the United States?; WebMD.com — Link
3) Reiss CS. Cannabinoids and Viral Infections. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2010;3(6):1873–1886. doi:10.3390/ph3061873 — Link
4) Reviewed by David Zelman, MD, What Is Inflammation?; WebMD.com, September 13, 2018 — Link
5) MacCallum, C.A., Practical considerations in medical cannabis administration and dosing European Journal of Internal Medicine (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2018.01.004 — Link
6) Russo EB (2016) Current Therapeutic Cannabis Controversies and Clinical Trial Design Issues. Front. Pharmacol. 7:309. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00309 — Link
7) Ogu CC, Maxa JL. Drug interactions due to cytochrome P450. Proceedings (Baylor University Medical Center). 2000;13(4):421-423. — Link
8) Ujvary I, Hanus L. Human metabolites of cannabidiol: a review on their formation, biological activity, and relevance in therapy. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2016;1:90–101. — Link
9) Devinsky O, Cross JH, Laux L, Marsh E, Miller I, Nabbout R, et al. Trial of cannabidiol for drug-resistant seizures in the Dravet syndrome. N Engl J Med 2017;376:2011–20. — Link
10) Jadoon, Khalid, A., Tan, Garry, D., O’Sullivan, Saoirse, E. A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study. JCI Insight. 2017;2(11):e93760. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci. insight.93760. — Link
11) Ross, Michele N., Vitamin Weed: A 4-Step Plan to Prevent and Reverse Endocannabinoid Deficiency; Greenstone Books, 2018