Marijuana or "weed" is now among the several ingredients that researchers are looking into to helping stop further spread of HIV infection.

According to hundreds of marijuana researchers, an active ingredient on "weeds" known as THC pierced HIV-like virus in monkeys called RIV.

Marijuana To Prevent HIV?

Medical cannabis is used as an appetite stimulant, antiemetic, antispasmodic and sometimes as analgesic to help treat chronic, non-cancerous pain, vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy. In some cases, it is also used to aid treating symptoms of AIDS patients. Researchers at the International Cannabinoid Research Conference are now digging up all the data they can get to track useful ingredients that may help to stop HIV infection. One ingredient known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can pierce to the monkey version of HIV called RIV.

Dr. Patricia Molina may not get medical cannabis into clinical trials for humans as the U.S. law considers marijuana as schedule I substance due to its addictive and adverse effects. Medically, "weeds" have been found beneficial in treating several diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. But proving an illegal drug like marijuana to stop a global pandemic threat on humans without ever testing it on them is impossible.

"It was ground-breaking. Everyone was in awe," Amanda Reiman, California policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance told the Daily Beast.

Ground-Breaking Results

Dr. Molina and her team at the Louisiana State University tested rhesus monkeys. For 17 months, they found something interesting after the team administered high concentration of THC from 4-to 6-year-old male rhesus monkeys who were RIV positive twice a day and examining intestinal tissues before and after the chronic THC exposure revealed dramatic decrease in immune tissue damage in the stomach plus significant population increase of normal cells in the same region.

The study showed the working properties of THC by targeting CB2 receptors in the brain, which reacts to therapeutic aspects such as reducing swelling and relieving pain instead of affecting CB1 receptors that has been linked to THC psychoactive qualities.

Also, THC targeting CB2 receptors build new and healthy bacterial cells in the intestines which block the virus from leaking through the cell walls. Making the body work hard to keep the bad stuff inside the intestines while retaining good stuff outside.

In other terms, THC on CB2 receptors restored cells in the intestinal walls which apparently targeted and killed by HIV.

Medical Cannabis

Under the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the following symptoms and conditions have been noted under Appendix IV of the November 2002 report, "Descriptions of Allowable Conditions under State Medical Marijuana Laws".

1. Alzheimer's disease

2. Anorexia

3. HIV/AIDS

4. Arthritis

5. Cancer

6. Crohn's dieases

7. Glaucoma

8. Epilepsy

9. Migraine

10. Multiple sclerosis

Adverse effects of marijuana use include high addiction rate known as dependence, irreversible cognitive impairment, psychosis, schizophrenia, depressive disorder, cancer, endocrine abnormalities and respiratory problems.