# Health outcomes and cognitive effects of marijuana use among persons living with HIV/AIDS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2020 · $148,760

## Abstract

Abstract
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are an especially vulnerable population in the COVID-19 pandemic given their
compromised immune system and comorbidities (e.g., substance use, mental health issues). Currently, no
research has examined how the broad impacts of COVID-19 (e.g., extended social isolation, anxiety, family
loss) are affecting marijuana use, cannabis use disorder (CUD), and care engagement in PLWH. Further,
research has not clarified whether chronic marijuana use will interact with HIV infection to impact the onset and
progression of COVID-19 infection. This urgent supplement will allow us to capture this window of opportunity
and collect timely data to address these gaps. Our ongoing R01 study of a PLWH cohort focusing on
marijuana use provides many unique strengths to support this supplement. The primary goal of the active R01
project is to examine the long-term impact of marijuana use on cognitive functioning and health outcomes in a
cohort of PLWH (currently 300 participants completed baseline assessment) in Florida. This supplement is
within the scope of the parent grant but extends the parent study by incorporating COVID-19-related
questions/measures into the ongoing data collection. We will collect additional data using a mixed method
approach which includes quantitative survey questions and in-depth qualitative interviews on a selected
subsample. We will conduct COVID-19 antibody tests using the blood sample we collect as a part of the
parent grant procedures. We will also link the collected data with the Florida Department of Health EHARS
data on HIV-related outcomes (e.g., viral load) over time, which is also a part of the parent study. The specific
aims of this supplement include: 1) To identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in
marijuana use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) among PLWH; 2) To determine the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the HIV care continuum (i.e., HIV care engagement) and outcomes (i.e., viral load); and 3) To
estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in our study sample after September 2020, using antibody
testing for IgG and IgM. If we have a large enough sample (i.e., 10% tested positive for COVID-19), we will
examine the association between marijuana use status and COVID-19 incidence/severity. This study will be
the first to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among an ongoing cohort of PLWH with a focus on
marijuana use and its related health outcomes. By collecting additional COVID-19-related information as a
part of the regular follow-ups in the parent study, we will be able to provide valuable evidence on how the
COVID-19 pandemic may cause changes in PLWH’s marijuana use/CUD and HIV care/outcomes and will be
able to identify the underlying mechanism of these changes. Results from the antibody tests may also provide
informative data on whether marijuana use interacts with HIV in affecting COVID-19 incidence and severity,
which can potentially inform future prev...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10165870
- **Project number:** 3R01DA042069-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert L Cook
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $148,760
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10165870

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10165870, Health outcomes and cognitive effects of marijuana use among persons living with HIV/AIDS (3R01DA042069-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10165870. Licensed CC0.

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