Hidden Antibiotic Potential of Cannabis Uncovered – “Real Therapeutic Potential”
McMaster University researchers have identified an antibacterial compound made by cannabis plants that may serve as a lead for new drug development. An interdisciplinary team of McMaster researchers found that the chemical compound, or cannabinoid, called cannabigerol (CBG) is not only antibacterial but also effective in mice against a resilient family of bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The findings were published in the journal American Chemical Society Infectious Diseases. “In this study, we investigated 18 commercially available cannabinoids and they all showed antibiotic activity, some much more than others,” said study lead Eric Brown, professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster. “The one we focused on was a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called CBG, as it had the most promising activity. We synthesized that cannabinoid in mass quantity which gave us sufficient compound to go deep into the research.” The r...