Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids In Patients with HIV-1 Infection: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Donald I. Abrams et al, "Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection, A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial," Annals of Internal Medicine 139, issue 4 (Aug. 19, 2003): 258-266
This study was the first clinical trial of whole marijuana permitted by the U.S. government after a decades-long drought. Designed as a safety study (after researchers had difficulty getting permission to study marijuana's efficacy), this trial found no discernible harm to HIV-infected patients from either smoked marijuana or oral THC. Notably, there was no sign of harm to patients' immune systems. Indeed, there was a non-significant trend toward improved immune cell counts and better control of the virus in both treatment groups, who also gained weight during the study.
Full text available for free at http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/139/4/258.pdf.
