Rate is double that of British Columbia

TORONTO - Almost one in three HIV patients in Ontario is using marijuana for medical reasons, according to a study presented at the 2003 Ontario HIV Treatment Network research conference.

Of HIV-positive Ontarians, 29% use marijuana medically - almost double the 14% rate found in a British Columbia study published in 2001, said study presenter Michelle Furler, a PhD student in pharmaceutical science at the University of Toronto.

But the rate is consistent with research on medical marijuana use among HIV-positive people in the U.S., she said.

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