Cannabis interacts with a system in the human body that regulates our immune defenses. Some research suggests it may have potential benefits for autoimmune conditions, but its effects on fighting viruses and pathogens remain less clear.
How Cannabis Affects the Body
The cannabis plant contains compounds called cannabinoids, which interact with the body's endocannabinoid system. These compounds mimic naturally occurring chemicals in the body, potentially influencing functions such as sleep, appetite, pain perception, and mood.
An important role of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain homeostasis or balance of the immune system. There are some contradictions about how exactly this works, but some evidence suggests it may help regulate inflammatory responses, preventing excessive immune activity.
For instance, cannabinoids have been explored for their potential in managing autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes have been tied to dysregulation in the endocannabinoid system.
However, when it comes to infections from pathogens (including viruses), researchers caution that these immunosuppressive effects could be problematic — suppressing the body’s natural and needed immune responses.
Research on Cannabis for Immune Health
Current scientific understanding of the endocannabinoid system suggests that cannabis could suppress important immune responses, which in theory could increase susceptibility to infections. However, research presents a more complex picture.
In some cases, suppressing immune activity could be beneficial when dealing with some infections. The body’s immune response to infection can sometimes become excessive, leading to severe inflammation or even life-threatening conditions like sepsis. Reducing this response could be life-saving.
Animal studies have shown that stimulating endocannabinoid receptors with cannabinoids like those in cannabis can reduce infection-related inflammation, and in certain cases, could improve survival rates.
In other animal experiments, reducing stimulation of these same receptors led to increased survival from infection. In some experiments stimulating these receptors decreased immune response against infections like candida, legionella pneumophila, and influenza.
The conflicting findings in animal studies highlight the need for more research—especially in humans, where studies have been limited.
Potential Benefits and Risks
Despite all of the data from animal studies, early double-blind, placebo-controlled human studies found no immunological alterations observed with THC use. However later exploration did suggest, some immunosuppressive effects were found in human research. In the same study, this effect reversed in two patients who had long term exposure to cannabis. So, it’s possible that the long-term effects of cannabis may differ from acute use when it comes to immune response.
While cannabis use has been linked to immune system changes in humans, researchers have not definitively confirmed that these alterations make cannabis users more vulnerable to infection.
Cannabinoids may have potential in treating viral infections particularly in reducing excessive inflammatory responses. However, they can also pose risks like suppressing needed immune responses.
Researchers have reported that cannabinoids show potential as treatments for infectious disease but emphasize the need for further research to learn exactly how to use them effectively maximizing benefits while minimizing potential risks to our immune response. Until then, its effects remain an open question.
Source: TheCannigma