Chicago (IL) – Recent medical studies have found that natural plant cannabinoids are capable of reducing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).
“Research into use of whole cannabis extracts and multi-cannabinoid compounds has provided the scientific rationale for medical marijuana’s efficacy in treating some of the most troubling diseases, including infectious diseases such as the flu and HIV, autoimmune diseases such as ALS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, stroke and brain injury, as well as numerous forms of cancer,” explained Dr. Robert Melamede, Director of Cannabis Science. “One common element of these diseases is that patients often suffer extended hospital stays, risking development of various Staphyloccus infections including MRSA. A topical, whole-cannabis treatment for these infections is a functional complement to our cannabis extract-based lozenge.”
Researchers at Italy’s Universita del Piemonte Orientale and Britain’s University of London reported similar findings in the Journal of Natural Products. Five cannabinoids – THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN – apparently demonstrated “potent and exceptional” antibacterial activity against two epidemic MRSA oubtreaks in UK hospitals.
“Although the use of cannabinoids as systemic antibacterial agents awaits rigorous clinical trials, their topical application to reduce skin colonization by MRSA seems promising. Cannabis sativa represents an interesting source of antibacterial agents to address the problem of multidrug resistance in MRSA and other pathogenic bacteria,” the authors concluded.
