A randomized clinical trial found that low-dose full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) was well tolerated over 12 weeks among adults with long-term, virally suppressed HIV, with no meaningful negative impact on liver function, kidney function or key HIV-related measures.
The study, published in Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research, was conducted by researchers affiliated with Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d’Orléans, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire/CNRS, Université d’Orléans and LI2RSO in France, along with Little Green Pharma in Australia.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 80 adults with HIV who were receiving antiretroviral therapy and had undetectable viremia. Participants had been on effective treatment for a median of 14 years, had a median age of 54, and 30% were women.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either full-spectrum CBD oil or a placebo for 12 weeks, followed by a four-week follow-up period. The CBD dose was 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight twice daily, with the oil containing less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Researchers found no clinically meaningful differences between the CBD and placebo groups in creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase or conjugated bilirubin, markers commonly used to assess kidney and liver function. Total bilirubin decreased in the CBD group compared with placebo.
The study also found no change in plasma viral load, cell-associated HIV-DNA levels or CD4/CD8 ratio, suggesting CBD did not negatively affect HIV control during the trial period.
In an exploratory sex-stratified analysis, men in the CBD group had a lower heart rate than those in the placebo group at week 12, a difference that persisted at week 16. No similar change was observed among women.
Researchers said the findings support the short-term safety and tolerability of low-dose, GMP-certified full-spectrum CBD in people with virally suppressed HIV, while noting that the bilirubin and heart-rate findings should be confirmed in larger trials.
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