Marijuana-like drugs can do more for AIDS patients than simply help them with their nausea or loss of appetite, according to a new study.

Doctor Tipster found new research published in the medical journal PLoS One that suggests marijuana-like compounds actually fight the HIV virus in late-stage AIDS patients.

Researchers told Doctor Tipster that they already know "cannabinoid drugs" like marijuana can have a therapeutic effect in AIDS patients. But they wanted to further understand how they "influence the spread of the virus itself."

The study found that "cannabinoid receptors" are triggered by marijuana-like compounds and can actually block the spread of the HIV virus throughout the body.

Now, the researchers who conducted the study are planning to test a marijuana-like drug in mice infected with late-stage AIDS, according to Zee News.

Americans For Safe Access, a pro-medical marijuana organization, cites various studies which suggest medical marijuana also helps HIV and AIDS patients who suffer from pain and weight loss.