Cannabinoids, the antibacterial compounds of the future!

Antibiotic resistance, a global problem

In 2019, the WHO expressed concern about the extent of the antibiotic resistance issue among many bacteria and the lack of drugs being developed to combat these diseases. Some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, are becoming increasingly resistant to existing treatments.

In addition, there are barely fifty drugs being tested to replace current options that have become ineffective. In Europe alone, nearly 300,000 people die every year from infections caused by resistant bacteria!

In the search for a solution, some scientists have turned their attention to medical cannabis. And it seems that CBD, CBG and terpenes from hemp are very effective against super bacteria!

Could CBG be a future weapon against resistant bacteria?

In 2020, Canadian researchers from McMaster University published studies on the antibacterial activity of CBG, or cannabigerol, one of the cannabinoids found in hemp. In vitro, the molecule has been shown to be effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

In particular, CBG is believed to prevent bacteria from attaching themselves to each other to form a biofilm, and to destroy resistant cells. They then aimed to confirm the results by treating MRSA-infected mice with CBG. The results were very promising.

All of the 18 commercially available cannabinoids tested showed varying degrees of efficacy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the researchers indicated that they were focusing their research on CBG, the compound they believe to be the most promising.

For Eric Brown, professor of biochemistry at McMaster, the next step is to enhance the compound so that it specifically attacks bacteria without being harmful to cells. 

CBD to boost antibiotic action

Another study published in Denmark in 2020 by researchers from the University of Syddansk demonstrated that CBD can boost the effects of certain antibiotics.

The researchers placed methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria in vitro in the presence of an antibiotic, either bacitracin on its own or a mixture of bacitracin and CBD. Bacteria subjected to the combined action of cannabinoids and bacitracin grew significantly less than control cultures. The CBD and bacitracin mixture was more effective than the antibiotic alone.

Cannabis terpenes to combat bacteria

Finally, researchers are not only interested in cannabinoids as a means of combating bacteria that have become resistant to current treatments!

In 2019, Italian researchers from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia published a study on the action of terpene-rich hemp essential oils, such as alpha and beta-pinene, beta-myrcene as well as beta-caryophyllene, on pathogenic microorganisms that can proliferate in industrial environments such as food processing.

Of the 17 cannabis essential oils tested, 6 were found to be highly effective against bacteria, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, which are most resistant to antibiotics and disinfection processes. Discoveries about the antibacterial action of CBD and the various cannabinoids are still in their infancy. But the first results are very promising!