Uncovering the Hidden Antibiotic Potential of Cannabis

• Published in: ACS infectious diseases Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 338 - 346
• Main Authors: Farha, Maya A, El-Halfawy, Omar M, Gale, Robert T, MacNair, Craig R, Carfrae, Lindsey A, Zhang, Xiong, Jentsch, Nicholas G, Magolan, Jakob, Brown, Eric D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 13.03.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Biofilms - drug effects; Cannabinoids - pharmacology; Cannabis - chemistry; Cell Membrane - drug effects; Female; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Polymyxin B - pharmacology; Staphylococcal Infections - blood; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; antibacterial activity; membrane activity; cannabinoids; drug discovery; in vivo efficacy; broad spectrum
• ISSN: 2373-8227; 2373-8227
• DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00419

The spread of antimicrobial resistance continues to be a priority health concern worldwide, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapies. Cannabis sativa has long been known to contain antibacterial cannabinoids, but their potential to address antibiotic resistance has only been superficially investigated. Here, we show that cannabinoids exhibit antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), inhibit its ability to form biofilms, and eradicate preformed biofilms and stationary phase cells persistent to antibiotics. We show that the mechanism of action of cannabigerol is through targeting the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-positive bacteria and demonstrate in vivo efficacy of cannabigerol in a murine systemic infection model caused by MRSA. We also show that cannabinoids are effective against Gram-negative organisms whose outer membrane is permeabilized, where cannabigerol acts on the inner membrane. Finally, we demonstrate that cannabinoids work in combination with polymyxin B against multidrug resistant Gram-negative pathogens, revealing the broad-spectrum therapeutic potential for cannabinoids.