MS related: Medical marijuana legislation growing throughout country

As more states debate medical marijuana policies, research at LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans offers new insights into how marijuana may affect people who suffer with HIV and AIDS.

The study looks at how long-term use of THC, the primary active chemical in marijuana, affects the progression of an animal disease similar to HIV in the immune system as well as appetite and behavior in animals affected with the disease. The animals receive THC injections twice a day for up to a year.

"Early findings suggest that, as far as the immune system is concerned, (THC) does not accelerate disease progression," said Dr. Patricia Molina, a professor and head of the physiology department at LSUHSC-New Orleans.

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