Federal Agency Grants $11.6M To Study Effects Of Marijuana On HIV-Infected Brains

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institute of Health gave Weill Cornell Medicine a five-year, $11.6 million grant to research how marijuana affects the brains of HIV patients.

“We know that the virus may cause changes within the brain, but it’s not clear yet how the use of cannabis might interact with the infection,” said principal investigator Dr. Lishomwa Ndhlovu, professor of Immunology in Medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division at Weill Cornell Medicine. 

The scientists leave both possibilities open – for marijuana to boost HIV’s negative effects on the brain or protect against them.“This support from NIDA will allow us to collect the data we need to explore this relationship,” researchers said. 

The study is part of NIDA’s SCORCH program, which is examining how various substances that can cause addiction may change the effects of HIV in the brain. 

While treatments for HIV have advanced and infected people now live longer, the virus can still damage the brain and other organs. As many as half of people infected with HIV will experience cognitive decline, including memory and concentration problems. 

How Can Marijuana Help?

This is not the first time NIDA has financially backed cannabis-related research. In 2020, the agency funded studies determining if smoking weed impacts COVID-19 symptoms.

In terms of HIV, previous studies show that patients oftentimes turn to weed either recreationally, or for medical purposes to help deal with their symptoms. Scientists are seeking to ascertain whether marijuana can help with the chronic inflammation often caused by HIV. 

“Findings from our lab and others demonstrate that inflammation can influence cognition in people living with HIV, and we’re aiming to understand whether cannabis can mitigate those effects and how it does this on a molecular level,” said Dr. Dionna Whitney Williams.

Scientists behind this marijuana study include Dr. Michael Corley, an assistant professor of immunology in medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Dr. Dionna Whitney Williams, an assistant professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash and BestStockFoto on Shutterstock