Indian researchers have discovered that cannabis leaves have an antibacterial effect against MRSA.
A team of scientists from Saaii College of Medical Science and Technology and the University of Gour Banga in India used ethanol-based tinctures containing crushed leaves of Cannabis sativa, as well as other plant compounds, to assess the leaves’ anti-MRSA antimicrobial properties.
According to the study published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, researchers found that the cannabis leaves have an antibacterial effect against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a type of staph bacteria that can cause fatal infections.
MRSA can be difficult to treat because it has become resistant to antibiotics like methicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin and is often associated with infections like septic shock and pneumonia.
The study concluded: “Ethanolic extract of C. sativa alone and in combination with T. orientalis provided two potential therapeutic agents for use against MRSA infections.”
Previous studies found that the cannabis plant has antibacterial and antifungal properties capable of slowing, or even stopping, the spread of MRSA under controlled conditions.
“Ethanolic extract of C. sativa alone and in combination with T. orientalis provided two potential therapeutic agents for use against MRSA infections”
Researchers
Patients can be prescribed medicinal cannabis by specialist doctors in the UK as of November 2018.
It is the first time UK medical experts have had the option to legally issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines if they think it could help their patient.
Before the ruling, almost all cannabis-based medicinal products were judged to have no therapeutic value.
However, a lack of clinical trials and legislative confusion has hampered more widespread adoption
