Marijuana might protect against Ebola, former Pascagoula surgeon David Allen suggests

Dr. David Bruce Allen is shown on the front porch on his home July 22, 2013. The nearly 50-acre property on Miss. 613 is commonly known as the Blue Hole because of its blue lake. (April Havens/ahavens@al.com) 

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — Marijuana might protect you from the deadly Ebola virus, according to a paper written by Dr. David Allen, the former Jackson County heart surgeon who was jailed for 14 months on drug charges that were eventually dropped.

Allen, who is now the medical director for Cannabis Sativa Inc., suggests marijuana should be studied as one answer to the international Ebola crisis.

“There is good scientific evidence that cannabinoids, and in particular Cannabidiol, may offer control of the immune system and in turn provide protection from viral infections,” the paper said.

“Cannabis has already been recognized to inhibit fungus and bacteria and can be considered a new class of antimicrobials because of the different mechanism of action from other antimicrobials,” it said.

The paper has been picked up by a variety of marijuana and health news websites.

It has been shared via social media more than 100,000 times and has prompted thousands of comments from readers.

Click here to read the full paper via the Cannabis Digest website.  

Multiple U.S. patents “prove down regulation of the immune system by cannabinoids may be a key in survival of HIV and may indeed translate into survival for Ebola patients,” Allen said.

“Because cannabis is so very safe especially under doctor supervision, I believe it is crucial for the medical community to start human trials on survivability of Ebola infected patients regardless of the political restraints,” he said.

Allen, who in 2009 was accused of growing marijuana at his Jackson County home, filed a $550 million federal lawsuit against the county and former Sheriff Mike Byrd.

The lawsuit, which alleges federal civil, constitutional and human rights violations, claims Byrd targeted him and his property on Miss. 613 — known as the “Blue Hole” — after Allen showed support for Byrd’s political opponent.

Earlier this year, the lawsuit’s counts against Byrd were dismissed.

Allen’s arrest, dismissal of charges and subsequent lawsuit have drawn widespread interest because the once-prominent heart surgeon moved to California to become a staunch advocate for medical marijuana.

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Marijuana might protect against Ebola, former Pascagoula surgeon David Allen suggests