Study: HIV Patients Who Use Cannabis Daily See Lower Neuroinflammation

HIV-positive patients who consume cannabis daily have lower levels of neuroinflammation than non-cannabis consuming HIV-positive patients, according to a University of California, San Diego study published this week in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Researchers found that HIV-positive subjects who consumed cannabis daily possessed lower levels of chronic inflammation than did HIV-positive subjects who didn’t use cannabis and that the chronic inflammation results of those who used cannabis were similar to those of HIV-negative subjects with no history of cannabis use.

“Taken together, findings are consistent with the notion that cannabinoids may modulate inflammatory processes in PWH [patients with HIV], specifically in the CNS, and suggest a link between lower CNS inflammation and better neurocognitive function. … Future studies in PWH are needed to investigate potential distinct effects of specific cannabinoids, and adult medicinal use, on brain structure and function.”— “Daily Cannabis Use is Associated With Lower CNS Inflammation in People With HIV,” Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society,” July 27, 2021

The study included 263 participants, including HIV-negative non-cannabis, and cannabis users; and HIV-positive cannabis, and non-cannabis users.

A separate study published last year in the Neurology, Neuroimmunology, and Neuroinflammation journal last year found recent cannabis use by people with HIV was associated with reduced inflammatory markers cerebrospinal fluid and blood. The study authors, also from UC, San Diego, concluded that the results of the study were “consistent with the compartmentalization of immune effects of cannabis.”