The Impact of Cannabinoids on Viral Infections

Robert Melamede, Ph.D.

Complex systems

All life is dependent on the maintenance of its dynamic organization through sufficient
input of nutrients and removal of wastes. The more complicated an organism, the more
complex the coordination required to accomplish the essential tasks required to maintain
this vital flow of inputs and outputs. Coordination requires communication. Cells
communicate by thousands of different, but specific receptors on cell surfaces that
respond to thousands of different, but also specific molecules (ligands) that bind to the
receptors. A receptor that is bound to its activating ligand causes biochemical changes to
occur in the cell.

In response to such regulatory signals on the cell surface, biochemical regulation within
the cell occurs at the level of gene expression as well as at the level of enzyme action.
Ultimately, these changes, through complex biochemical pathways, allow cells to divide,
carry out specialized differentiation tasks, lie dormant, or die. Any of these cellular
activities, when not properly coordinated, can result in illness.

The coordination typically involves a thermostat-like balance of opposing forces often

manifesting as pro- and anti- inflammatory activities. Evolution has selected the
endocannabinoid (internally produced marijuana-like compounds) system as a central
player in maintaining biochemical homeostasis by controlling the balanced of lipid vs
carbohydrate metabolism thus regulating free radical production and cell life and death
decisions..

The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system appears to be quite ancient with some of its components
dating back approximately 600 million years to when the first multi-cellular organisms
appeared. The beginnings of the modern cannabinoid system are found in mollusks and
hydra. As evolution proceeded, the role that the cannabinoid system played in animal life
continuously increased. It is now known that this system maintains homeostasis within
and across the organizational scales of all animals. Within a cell, cannabinoids control
basic metabolic processes such as glucose metabolism.

Cannabinoids regulate inter-cellular communication, especially in the immune and

nervous systems In general, cannabinoids modulate and coordinate tissues, organs and
body systems (including the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, excretory, immune,
musculo-skeletal, nervous, reproductive, and respiratory systems). Because cannabinoids
have such a broad spectrum of biological activities, they are involved directly or
indirectly with many illnesses.

The endocannabinoid system has numerous components. Endocannabinoids must be

synthesized, bind to and activate receptors, and ultimately they must also be broken down.
The breakdown is not simply a biochemical garbage disposal system. Rather, the
breakdown products themselves have biological activity often mediated by their own
array of receptors with associated biochemical modifications. Life and health is sustained
by an intricate and multi-dimensional, dynamic biochemical balancing act.

Disease states result from imbalances in biochemical flow. Our pharmaceutical and
medical industries focus on developing and using drugs to terminate pathways that are
excessively active or to activate those that are not active enough. This process typically
ignores the complex web of biochemical flows where the basic rule is that the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts.

Free radical induced cellular damages regulate homeostasis. They are highly reactive
chemicals that are produced as a result of using oxygen to burn food for fuel. They
modify proteins, DNA, RNA, lipids and carbohydrates thus reducing with the efficiency
of biochemical processes and lead to genetic changes in cells.

Current scientific literature regarding cannabis indicates that activating the

endocannabinoid system may be beneficial for many age-related diseases because of the
prominent role that free radical induced damage plays in often inflammatory diseases. In
general, free radicals can be viewed as biochemical friction while cannabinoids are the
biochemical oil of life. Essentially, cannabinoids exhibit anti-aging properties. This view
is supported by the decreased lifespan of cannabinoid receptor (CB1) knockout mice
(mice lacking the main neurological cannabinoid receptor), and conversely, the increased
longevity of mice fed THC. An overwhelming number of scientific studies also
demonstrate the impact of the cannabinoid system on all classes of age-related diseases.

Viral Infection

The high biosynthetic demands of HIV and other viruses produce high levels of free
radicals. Infected cells avoid inducing apoptosis by altering biochemical pathways in
virus specific manners. Some virus such as HIV, KSHV, papilloma are very dependent
on carbohydrate driven electron transport, which leaves them more susceptible to
apoptosis, for their energy needs.

There is a significant body of peer-reviewed literature. Activating the CB2 receptor

promotes cell death of cells by inducing beta-oxidation that deprives cells infected by
enveloped virus of their normal energy generating mechanisms. Additionally, they are
deprived of lipids that required for viral maturation. Fats are synthesized from
carbohydrates and depleted by beta-oxidation. Additionally, there are numerous
anecdotal reports of the successful use of cannabinoids on the above name viruses.

References:  Cannabinoids  HIV  Metabolism  

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