Ep. 54: Canabis as a Complementary Therapy for HIV

Approximately 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and more people are living longer because of advances in medicine and pharmaceuticals.  Developed in the late 1980s, antiretroviral therapy is credited with providing better viral control, but these pharmaceuticals are not without their downside, as they are expensive, complex in action, and have many adverse effects. 

As we continue to expand our knowledge about cannabis and its interactions with the endocannabinoid system, new studies indicate that medical marijuana is an effective treatment for the symptoms of HIV as well as a way to manage the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy.  Adding cannabinoids, such as CBD and THC, to the HIV treatment plan specifically targets the body’s endocannabinoid system, which in turn lessens the adverse symptoms associated with inflammatory and nervous system dysfunction found in HIV.  

In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we examine how these cannabinoids can improve the quality of life by decreasing not only the symptoms associated with antiretroviral therapy, but also reduce HIV viral load and complement the prescribed drugs that are helping people live longer with HIV. 

EPISODE RESOURCES 

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Liu, Z., Julius, P., Himwaze, C.M., Mucheleng’anga, L.A., Chapple, A.G., West, J.T., & Wood, C. (2024). Cannabis use associates with reduced proviral burden and inflammatory cytokine in tissues from men with Clade C HIV-1 on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Journal of Infectious Diseases, jiad575. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad575 

Marini, S., Huber, A., Cash, M.N., Salemi, M., Cook, R.L., Borsa, P., & Mavian, C.N. (2024). Oral cannabidiol treatment is associated with an anti-inflammatory gene expression signature in myeloid cells of people living with HIV. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0139 

Mboumba Bouassa, R.-S., Needham, J., Nohynek, D., Singer, J., Lee, T., Bobeuf, F., Samarani