AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #139, November 22, 1991
Denny Smith
Marijuana is useful for countering glaucoma, as well as the nausea and loss of appetite experienced by people with AIDS or cancer (see AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #131, July 27, 1991).
For about thirteen years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reluctantly made marijuana available on a compassionate-use basis, although the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continues to classify the plant as a narcotic with no therapeutic value. Technically the San Francisco vote cannot overrule the DEA classification; but the measure of public sentiment may discourage successful prosecution of people who make medical use of marijuana.
On a cautionary note, several published articles have alerted physicians to the risk of acquiring the fungal infection aspergillosis by ingesting marijuana. One recent letter appeared in the October 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 115, number 7, pages 578-579). The authors of the letter said that "most illegally obtained" marijuana plants harbor two different species of Aspergillus, the spores of which can travel on marijuana smoke into the lungs. In people with compromised immunity, this exposure may lead to pulmonary aspergillosis.
A possible solution was offered. The authors described an experiment in which parsley, oregano and tea were inoculated with three species of Aspergillus, and then baked at varying times and temperatures. Cultures for survivors indicated that the fungi were consistently killed after five minutes of dry heat at 275 degrees Fahrenheit/135 Centigrade. To compensate for variations in non-laboratory situations, marijuana users could bolster the conditions to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 Centigrade for 15 minutes, without degrading THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
The letter cautions that even after this sterilization, Aspergillus antigens could provoke bronchospasms in sensitized individuals. In other respects, the proposed solution may greatly reduce the hazards of using marijuana therapeutically.
911122
ATN13907
Copyright © 1991 - AIDS Treatment News. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used. Subscription lists are kept confidential. AIDS Treatment News, Subscription and Editorial Office: 1233 Locust St., 5th floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 800/TREAT-1-2 toll-free email: aidsnews@critpath.org http://www.aidsnews.org
Subscription Information: Call 800/TREAT-1-2: Businesses, Institutions, Professionals: $270/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Nonprofit organizations: $135/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Individuals: $120/year, or $70 for six months. Special discount for persons with financial difficulties: $54/year, or $30 for six months. If you cannot afford a subscription, please write or call. Outside North, Central, or South America, add air mail postage: $20/year, $10 for six months. Back issues available. Fax subscriptions, bulk rates, and multiple subscriptions are available; contact our office for details. Please send U.S. funds: personal check or bank draft, international postal money order, or travelers checks. VISA, Mastercard, and purchase orders also accepted. ISSN # 1052-4207
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1991. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1991. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .