The research itself was performed on mice, who were first given a treatment called Poly(I:C) to artificially induce ARDS, with symptoms similar to what we see in severe COVID-19 patients. This created a cytokine storm, reduced the blood oxygen saturation by 10%, and even produced structural damages to the lungs in mice subjects. Then after the mice were experiencing the cytokine storm and coinciding respiratory distress, they were given CBD. And the results showed just how powerful CBD can be when treating ARDS. “These symptoms were totally or partially reversed and returned to the level and condition of the normal after treatment with CBD” the authors report.