Numerous people with HIV use marijuana to treat medication side effects and other HIV-related conditions. Issues of the HIV Nutrition News Update Electronic List noted studies designed to show whether marijuana can be useful for medical purposes. As noted in Issues 23 and 24 of the HIV ReSource Review, some U.S. physicians may prescribe therapeutic marijuana for certain disorders even though it remains illegal. Although the U.S. government allows physicians to discuss medical marijuana, they believe that recommending it threatens the public's health and safety. (1) The Canadian government allows the use of medical marijuana for people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, severe arthritis and multiple sclerosis. U.S. medical marijuana laws have been passed in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Maine and Colorado. 
 

Research continues to document the effects of marijuana use and individual cannabinoids. Recent research associates the use of marijuana with increased efficacy as an anti-emetic (2) and effectiveness as a pain killer (3). Chronic use of marijuana can cause a drop in intelligence quotient (IQ) and result in short-term memory loss. Memory and learning problems persist for at least a week after cessation of use but they appear to resolve completely within a month. (4) Preliminary evidence suggests that marijuana use increases the risk of heart attack (5) and chronic abuse of the drug can restrict blood flow to the brain and increase the risk of stroke for young men aged 18 to 30. (6)