Marijuana May Smoke Out Hiv/aids

[trix]

Marijuana May Smoke Out HIV/AIDS

 

Researchers have known for decades that marijuana can provide an enormous benefit to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS because of its ability to stimulate the appetite and prevent weight loss. However, a new study  finds that this magical herb may do more than just give patients the munchies, but it may actually tackle the disease at its core.

 

An analysis published last week in the journal AIDS Researcher and Human Retroviruses by a team of researchers at Louisiana State University indicates that a daily regimen of THC may have a significant impact on the progression of HIV.

 

Researchers say that after delivering a daily dose of THC to monkeys for a period of 17-months, the diseased primates displayed a decrease in damaged immune tissue in the stomach -- a common spot for the infection to occur.

 

“It adds to the picture and it builds a little bit more information around the potential mechanisms that might be playing a role in the modulation of the infection,” says lead researcher Dr. Patricia Molina, head of the school’s Department of Physiology.

 

These findings are consistent with a 2011 study led by Dr. Molina that points toward monkeys being treated with THC experiencing an overall reduction in infection, as well as improved chances for survival. 

At the time, these were unexpected results, clarifies Dr. Molina.

 

“When we started the study, we thought it was going to increase viral load, we thought it was going to decrease lymphocyte counts much more dramatically, and we did not see that. If anything, it looks like there might be some beneficial immunomodulation, particularly at the early stages of infection.”

 

For years, there has been much skepticism about the use of marijuana in patients with HIV/AIDS. This is mostly due to speculation that cannabinoids put constraints on the function of the immune system. 

 

Yet, medical experts say they are now enthusiastic to learn more about how marijuana, specifically its effect on the CB2 receptor, can be used as a life saving treatment for those suffering with HIV/AIDS.

 

The information in this article was provided by Leaf Science.

 

http://www.hightimes.com/read/marijuana-may-smoke-out-hivaids

[AmishRnot4ganja]

I so want to go on a rant here and type a message in all caps to the prohibitionists, but I will hold my tongue and instead just ask them to please consider the evidence surrounding marijuana. Thank you.

[t-pain]

which one was the study that said thc hurt the immune system?

 

http://www.webmd.com/lupus/news/20030415/cannabis-may-suppress-immune-system

 

then another study in 2009 , "published in the European Journal of Immunology," is the one that said it could cause cancer.

 

http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/JOPD_Immunity_Hollister_92.html

Despite the fairly large literature that developed during the past 15 years or so, the effect of cannabinoids on the immune system is still unsettled. The evidence has been contradictory

[kevinjoseph]

From the early-1980s to the mid-1990s, HIV was a major contributor to death and illness in the United States. Early generation HIV drugs were prone not only to premature failure, they often came with serious and sometimes debilitating side effects.

Moreover, people living with the disease were at high risk of illnesses we don’t see as frequently these days, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (a rare form of skin cancer), AIDS dementia, and the aforementioned HIV wasting syndrome.

It was, in fact, this last condition which first spurred support for the use of medical marijuana. Doctors, who at the time had few options for treatment, surmised that marijuana’s appetite-stimulating properties could benefit those experiencing the profound, unexplained weight loss as a result of this still-mysterious condition.

Since laws at the time largely forbade the use of marijuana in clinical settings, doctors began to prescribe the Schedule III drug Marinol (dronabinol), which contains a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient of cannabis.

While Marinol proved to be successful in alleviating many of the symptoms of HIV wasting, many still preferred the “instant hit” afforded from three to four puffs of a marijuana cigarette.