Medical Marijuana For People With HIV

Posted on August 14th, 2010

Medical marijuana use can ease symptoms and side effects in people with HIV. Studies have estimated that more than a quarter of patients with HIV use medical marijuana to alleviate their symptoms. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana is available as the cannabis plant or as two different pills available by prescription.

The cannabis plant is not approved by FDA and its use, possession and cultivation are illegal under federal law. However, medical marijuana patients are not pursued by the law and nor are their physicians. The prescription drugs, Marinol and Cesamet are approved by FDA and can legally be prescribed by doctors.

Marijuana can reduce nausea while increasing appetite. It can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, of muscle and nerve pain. However, use of medical marijuana is not considered risk-free for people with HIV. The immune system might be affected, although it is not yet clear how. Older studies have linked marijuana smoking to a faster progression of the disease and an increase in risk for illnesses such as pneumonia or Kaposi’s sarcoma.