Dronabinol and Marijuana in HIV-Positive Marijuana Smokers, Caloric Intake, Mood, and Sleep
Margaret Haney et al, "Dronabinol and Marijuana in HIV-Positive Marijuana Smokers,
Caloric Intake, Mood, and Sleep," Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 45, issue 5 (August 15, 2007): 545-554.
This clinical trial found that both smoked marijuana and the THC pill (Marinol, known generically as dronabinol) are effective at increasing caloric intake and weight among HIV-positive patients, with no effect on cognitive performance. Strikingly, however, it took eight times the standard dose of Marinol to approximate the effect of weak (3.9% THC) marijuana, and even at that dose, natural marijuana outperformed Marinol in some measurements.
The full study is available for free download here: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Fulltext/2007/08150/Dronabinol_and_Marijuana_in_HIV_Positive_Marijuana.9.aspx?desktopMode=true
