Cannabis for HIV and AIDS Patients: The Hidden Remedy Within the Plant

It has become almost scripture for AIDS activists and cannabis activists alike to talk about the history of their causes, to reference the worst of times during prohibition, or the AIDS crisis of the 80s. But what many don’t realize is, the two worlds have always been connected.

In San Francisco during the AIDS crisis, a group of queer-run cannabis activists, spearheaded by Dennis Peron and Lynette Shaw, realized that cannabis could offer up healing to those who couldn’t eat or were experiencing pain. And the rest is history.

Peron and his team dedicated all of their time and energy to cannabis legalization and normalization, as well as to helping patients get the medicine they needed. Now, in 2018, Colorado has legal and medical cannabis, and it’s very possible for HIV and AIDS patients in legal states to get cannabis.

However, all isn’t perfect for those looking for relief. Cannabis is still illegal at a federal level, and there is a serious lack of research to support how helpful cannabis is when it comes to things like pain and nausea. And cannabis almost always has to be prescribed as a panacea or recreational afterthought; even in the process of writing this story, it was difficult to get people to go on record talking about HIV, AIDS, and cannabis. Despite all the hard work of the early, queer cannabis activists, there is still a long way to go.

The Legal 411
Those who are seeking to use cannabis to help with AIDS can’t just walk into their regular doctor’s office and ask for a prescription. When it comes to those who officially handle AIDS cases, they can only make recommendations.

“At Colorado Health Network and Colorado AIDS Project, we take a client-centered approach,” explained Jamie Villalobos, director of regional programs for the Denver office. “So if a client comes in and they are presenting medical marijuana in their wellness plan, if the client is like, ‘I want to be using medical marijuana to help out with the wasting, or the nausea, or appetite loss, or pain, or anxiety,’ then that is their wellness plan. We can support holistic treatments, but we are going to support them by saying, ‘hey ,this is something that we encourage you to recommend or discuss with your primary care physician.’”

In other words, while medical cannabis has progressed to the point that a patient can’t get into legal trouble for asking a doctor about it, doctors still aren’t really allowed to recommend it. Often, of course, patients will speak to their doctors, only to be told that medical cannabis isn’t recommended, or that their doctor can’t speak to it one way or the other. Still, it is a major step forward that patients can in fact ask about cannabis, and at least be encouraged to try.

When it comes personal feelings on cannabis and how it has impacted patients, Villalobos is grateful for the relief it can provide patients, even if he is slightly skeptical because of the lack of research currently available.
“I think it is really helpful; I know some clients and it has helped them really well,” he explained. “We are going to support the health and wellbeing of our clients; I know there are pros and cons to using marijuana, and we are supportive of the option, but it goes back to an individual thing. Clients are different, react differently, and again we are supportive; we are good with what has been presented, but we need to make sure there is more info out there.”

Finding Relief
There is definitely a lack of clear, researched evidence that cannabis helps patients, even with the symptoms of AIDS. However, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to back up the claims.

Gregory Giori first learned of his positive status in 1989, and he estimates that his exposure date was probably in the 70s. At the time, like many AIDS patients, Giori was simply told that it was a death sentence and he should get his affairs in order. To the surprise of many, he lived, and although he was often very sick, he found relief in cannabis.

“I had used cannabis in my younger years and my mom also recommended it back in the later 80s,” he explained. “When I met Lynette Shaw and we became friends, she always had it available. At that point I was developing some pretty severe stomach issues that affected my ability to eat, and cannabis reinvigorated my interest in food, because I was losing weight. She provided it kindly and said, ‘Look, this is going to help you,’ and it has.

Throughout his life, Giori has tried all manner of cannabis medication, from edibles and smokeables to vaping. Despite the cannabis, his symptoms have prevailed, and he has spent much of his life in the hospital. At one point he was in a coma, in constant threat of having the plug pulled. However, any time the pain or nausea gets bad, cannabis is there to help him heal. If it weren’t for the cannabis, Giori would be on a cocktail of pain pills and other pain medications, many of which can do more harm than good to a person with a compromised immune system and a tendency towards depression or addiction due to chronic illness.

“I was the only patient who opted not to take opiates,” he explained, talking of his time in the hospital with other AIDS patients. “I didn’t take them, didn’t become addicted, used the pain as a spiritual journey to transform. Lynette [Shaw] brought me CBD as well as thc tinctures, which made it possible for me to eat.”

While dispensaries and other cannabis providers can’t offer specific cannabis advice, they can suggest strains and products that help with the symptoms caused by AIDS.

“We don’t offer medical advice, but for nearly a decade we have experienced daily interactions with customers that have reported strains such as L.A. Confidential, Cannatonic (CBD-heavy), Death Star, and Bubba Kush provide relief for pain and nausea. Additionally, micro-dosing can help you function without the psychoactive effects by softening the edges,” said John Andrle, co-owner of L’Eagle Services.

A Tool for Healing
Many misunderstand the quest for legalizing cannabis to help with AIDS and HIV, thinking that it’s meant to be some kind of magical cure for arguably the worst disease the human race has ever experienced.

This is not so; rather, it is the goal of patients and advocates for cannabis to be available as a medical tool to heal the symptoms of AIDS. With a better understanding of how cannabis works, and more legalization and education, those who suffer from the AIDS will be able to find better relief.