According to a leading neurologist, recent studies suggesting CBD is effective at killing drug-resistant diseases, cannabis-based antibiotics could be publicly available in the United Kingdom within five years.
Research from the University of Queensland found CBD can kill antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The study’s findings are being seen as a medical breakthrough as the United Nations has warned drug-resistant diseases could kill up to 10 million people per year by 2050 if no solution is found.
The promising study has medical cannabis expert Professor Mike Barnes says it’s only a matter of time before CBD-based antibiotics will be available on the National Health Service, the healthcare system of the UK. Professor Barnes previously helped bring the cannabis-based multiple sclerosis (MS) Sativex into the UK.
“I think we’re five years plus away, a pessimist might say 10 years, I think that’s too much given the plethora of research at the moment,” Professor Barnes said. “I think it’s potentially really exciting and yet another thing that cannabis does, so we should embrace cannabis as a medicine because it does so many different things.”
Despite the new research, more work needs to be done to develop CBD-based medical treatments. CBD has shown to be effective when applied as a topical treatment, but not when injected directly into the bloodstream, and Professor Barnes believes another breakthrough may be coming soon.
“To put very crudely, if you put CBD on a plate with bacteria it kills it very quickly, but if you put it in a tablet form it won’t kill it very quickly,” Barnes said.CBD hasn’t been the only cannabinoid showing promise in treating superbugs. A study from last year found cannabigerol (CBG) is effective at killing MRSA.
