Medical marijuana

April 2005     View PDF     En español

The bottom line

Medical marijuana

• Medical marijuana may be useful in promoting appetite for people with HIV-related anorexia.
• Marijuana may also be useful in managing nausea and may help relieve pain.
• A synthetic form of an active ingredient in marijuana, dronabinol (Marinol) is approved by the FDA for treating HIV-related weight loss and for managing nausea associated with the use of chemotherapy.

Pros

• Dronabinol is FDA-approved and legally available by prescription through hospitals and pharmacies.
• People who have tried both dronabinol and medical marijuana contend that they are better able to control drug effects with medical marijuana.
• Some limited studies suggest that marijuana doesn’t have negative long-term impact on HIV disease and measures of immune health, like CD4+ cell counts.

Cons

• Dronabinol has absorption problems and individuals’ claim difficulty in controlling the drug effect (feeling too “stoned”).
• Medical marijuana is not legally available to many people. Third-party payers, like insurance and Federal programs, do not cover its cost.
• Marijuana and its active ingredient THC has been shown in some studies to suppress immune function.
• Smoked marijuana increases the risk of lung infections and complications.
• Marijuana may be contaminated with insecticides, pesticides, fungus and/or bacteria. Ingesting these could have mild-to-severe health consequences. (Some claim that microwaving marijuana for ten seconds on high may decrease risks associated with fungus contamination.)
• Marijuana/THC has short-term impact on mental status. Long-term effects are less clear.
• Some studies suggest that marijuana/THC may decrease testosterone levels.
• It is unknown if marijuana interacts with anti-HIV drug therapies, increases HIV replication or negatively impacts HIV disease progression.