Cannabis Consumption in People Living with HIV: Reasons for Use, Secondary Effects, and Opportunities for Health Education

Costiniuk, Cecilia T.; Saneei, Zahra; Salahuddin, Syim; Cox, Joseph; Routy, Jean‐Pierre; Rueda, Sergio; Abdallah, Sara J.; Jensen, Dennis; Lebouché, Bertrand; Brouillette, Marie‐Josée; Klein, Marina B.; Szabo, Jason; Frenette, Charles; Giannakis, Andreas; Jenabian, Mohammad-Ali

doi:10.1089/can.2018.0068

Cited by 33 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…These findings are consistent with previous studies that reported increases in CB1 levels in PWH with HIV encephalitis and may implicate the ECS as a promising therapeutic target in PWH with HAND in the ART era [26] and in neuroinflammatory diseases in general [35]. PWH use cannabis at higher rate than the general population, with 14-56% of PWH using cannabis compared to <10% in the general population [19,[36][37][38][39][40]. The higher rates of use in PWH may be due to cannabis ability to alleviate anxiety, depression, nausea, sleep disorders and other symptoms associated with HIV infection [20,41].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

Swinton¹,

Sundermann²,

Pedersen³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persist despite the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART), suggesting underlying systemic and central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory mechanisms. The endogenous cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) modulate inflammatory gene expression and play an important role in maintaining neuronal homeostasis. Cannabis use is disproportionately high among people with HIV (PWH) and may provide a neuroprotective effect for those on ART due to its anti-inflammatory properties. However, expression profiles of CB1 and CB2 in the brains of PWH on ART with HAND have not been reported. In this study, biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine CB1 and CB2 expression in brain specimens of HAND donors. Immunoblot revealed CB1 and CB2 were differentially expressed in frontal cortices from HAND brains compared to neurocognitively unimpaired (NUI) brains from PWH. CB1 expression levels negatively correlated with memory and information processing speed. CB1 was primarily localized to neuronal soma in HAND brains versus a more punctate distribution on neuronal processes of NUI brains. CB1 expression was increased in cells with glial morphology and showed increased colocalization with an astroglial marker. These results suggest that targeting the endocannabinoid system may be a potential therapeutic strategy for HAND.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

Swinton¹,

Sundermann²,

Pedersen³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Such results are novel in that they provide insight into an area as of yet unexplored in the scientific literature; ours differ from the results of studies of other populations (i.e. people with HIV and their families [ 123 , 124 ]) showing that recreation is frequently cited as a reason for cannabis use. These differences may be explained by the intensity of symptoms experienced or by the effectiveness of cannabis in relieving symptoms specific to cancer or its treatment (e.g.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 83%

Routes of administration, reasons for use, and approved indications of medical cannabis in oncology: a scoping review

et al. 2022

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Introduction Some patients diagnosed with cancer use medical cannabis to self-manage undesirable symptoms, including nausea and pain. To improve patient safety and oncological care quality, the routes of administration for use of medical cannabis, patients’ reasons, and prescribed indications must be better understood. Methods Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, a scoping review was conducted to map the current evidence regarding the use of medical cannabis in oncological settings based on the experiences of patients diagnosed with cancer and their healthcare providers. A search strategy was developed with a scientific librarian which included five databases (CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO) and two grey literature sources (Google Scholar and ProQuest). The inclusion criteria were: 1) population: adults aged 18 and over diagnosed with cancer; 2) phenomena of interest: reasons for cannabis use and/or the prescribed indications for medical cannabis; 3) context: oncological setting. French- or English-language primary empirical studies, knowledge syntheses, and grey literature published between 2000 and 2021 were included. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and subjected to a thematic analysis. A narrative description approach was used to synthesize and present the findings. Results We identified 5,283 publications, of which 163 met the eligibility criteria. Two main reasons for medical cannabis use emerged from the thematic analysis: limiting the impacts of cancer and its side effects; and staying connected to others. Our results also indicated that medical cannabis is mostly used for three approved indications: to manage refractory nausea and vomiting, to complement pain management, and to improve appetite and food intake. We highlighted 11 routes of administration for medical cannabis, with oils and oral solutions the most frequently reported. Conclusion Future studies should consider the multiple routes of administration for medical cannabis, such as inhalation and edibles. Our review highlights that learning opportunities would support the development of healthcare providers’ knowledge and skills in assessing the needs and preferences of patients diagnosed with cancer who use medical cannabis.

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“…Several studies have suggested that PWH use cannabis at a higher rate than the general population, with studies showing that 14–56% of PWH using cannabis compared to <10% in the general population [ 19 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. The higher rates of use among PWH may be due to cannabis’ ability to alleviate anxiety, depression, nausea, sleep disorders, and other symptoms associated with HIV infection [ 20 , 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

Swinton

Sundermann

Pedersen

et al. 2021

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persist despite the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART), suggesting underlying systemic and central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory mechanisms. The endogenous cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) modulate inflammatory gene expression and play an important role in maintaining neuronal homeostasis. Cannabis use is disproportionately high among people with HIV (PWH) and may provide a neuroprotective effect for those on ART due to its anti-inflammatory properties. However, expression profiles of CB1 and CB2 in the brains of PWH on ART with HAND have not been reported. In this study, biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine CB1 and CB2 expression in the brain specimens of HAND donors. Immunoblot revealed that CB1 and CB2 were differentially expressed in the frontal cortices of HAND brains compared to neurocognitively unimpaired (NUI) brains of PWH. CB1 expression levels negatively correlated with memory and information processing speed. CB1 was primarily localized to neuronal soma in HAND brains versus a more punctate distribution of neuronal processes in NUI brains. CB1 expression was increased in cells with glial morphology and showed increased colocalization with an astroglial marker. These results suggest that targeting the endocannabinoid system may be a potential therapeutic strategy for HAND.

show abstract

Cannabis Consumption in People Living with HIV: Reasons for Use, Secondary Effects, and Opportunities for Health Education

Cited by 33 publications

References 49 publications

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

Routes of administration, reasons for use, and approved indications of medical cannabis in oncology: a scoping review

Alterations in Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Levels Are Associated with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in the ART Era: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Endocannabinoid System

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