Brazilian scientists to test cannabidiol for treatment of Long Covid

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Characterized by the persistence of symptoms for over 60 days, Long Covid, as specialists refer to it, may be treated with cannabidiol – one of the active ingredients of Cannabis sativa.

Capable of lasting for months after infection, the effects the disease causes in the body include fatigue, headaches, muscle weakness, and insomnia.

Cannabidiol is used in the treatment of a number of diseases; hence, Brazilian scientists decided to test it against the coronavirus. Research for the rehabilitation of post-Covid patients is currently in its third phase. The researchers will recruit 1,000 volunteers for the trial, which should begin next month.

The cardiologist responsible for the research, Edimar Bocchi, said that the trials will be conducted in partnership with Verdemed, a Canadian company that produces medicinal cannabidiol. A physician at the Heart Institute of the University of São Paulo Medical School said that the substance will play a major role in treating the disease that impairs the patient’s health and well-being for several months.

“International studies have shown the anti-inflammatory effect of cannabidiol, which can help control this cytokine storm. Post-Covid syndrome leads to a major impairment of quality of life. These symptoms may persist for over three months,” he said.

“In clinical practice, we are well aware of the anti-inflammatory effect of cannabidiol. It can inhibit some of the same inflammatory pathways in which Covid-19 acts. But it is not only in the physical but also in the mental context. Post-traumatic stress in these cases is common, with tachycardia, anxiety, recurrent memories of what happened in the hospital. Cannabidiol helps these people to have a healthier life, helps the body work properly,” explains Paula Dall’Stella, the first doctor in Brazil to prescribe the substance to treat diseases.

The Canadian company took the lead and registered a patent for the drug with the Brazilian National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) for commercialization in Brazil.