Can CBD act as an effective antibiotic?

The global antibiotic crisis continues to grow

The world is facing a health crisis because more and more bacteria are developing resistance to our antibiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious threats to global health, food safety and development. 

There is already a list of diseases that are increasingly less responsive to antibiotic treatment. This list includes, for example: tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc. For these serious reasons, scientists are looking for alternatives such as CBD.

A recent study at the University of Queensland found that CBD has a potent antibacterial effect. Then the scientists approved it as a "promising new antibiotic."

CBD effectively kills Gram positive bacteria

Researchers at the University of Queensland tested CBD against a number of bacteria, in this case mice with femoral infection.

In general, there are two types of pathogenic bacteria: gram-positive and gram-negative. The difference between them is based on the structure of their cell walls. These structural differences usually cause certain antibiotics to act against only one or the other species of bacteria, but not against both.

Figure 1. Scheme of Gram-negative bacteria

Figure 2. Scheme of Gram-positive bacteria

When should CBD be used as an antibiotic?

It is not recommended to immediately stop prescribing antibiotics and replace them with CBD (cannabidiol). Because the results have not yet been reviewed. However, these steps are important because preliminary laboratory tests do not necessarily lead to clinical results in humans.

One danger of antibiotic resistance is that pharmaceutical companies sometimes hesitate to invest in new antibiotics. Determining a new compound, clarifying its functionality and carrying out the necessary tests is time consuming and expensive. In general, it may take more than ten years to approve a new drug. However, recompilation of existing approved drugs can be faster and cheaper.

Why is CBD not yet used as an antibiotic?

For hemp enthusiasts, the question arises: “Why do we need pharmaceutical companies? When people have been treating their diseases through various herbs for centuries? "

A standardized and licensed product is much more attractive to patients and parents because it eliminates the frustration of dosing. This is all the more so for doctors who are accustomed to working with strictly tested drugs with specific normative recommendations. There is no cannabis medicine yet. However, due to the promising effect of CBD as an antibiotic, researchers and pharmaceutical companies will seek to continue research in Queensland.

Resource: https://www.rxleaf.com/cbd-as-an-antibiotic-against-drug-resistant-bacteria/