Cannabis for treating Glaucoma

Disclaimer: It is important to note that consulting with your doctor/physician should take precedence and come first when deciding upon treating any ailment or disease. Additionally, research into cannabis, while the field is indeed growing, is still limited and the need for clinical trials and experiments is a topic that society needs to collectively address. Proper and effective dosing, for example, is a facet of medical marijuana that has been difficult to establish due to restrictions our governments have in place.The potential for cannabis’ ability to save lives is one that cannot be overlooked, but unfortunately still needs to be intensively studied.

The following is a collection of news articles, research literature, peer reviewed medical studies, resources, documentaries, interviews, and lecture clippings discussing cannabis as a medicine for treating Glaucoma.

Does Marijuana Help Treat Glaucoma? – Page on eyesmart.com

Position Statement on Marijuana and the Treatment of Glaucoma – Aug 2009 article on the American Glaucoma Society.

Lowering the Pressure – Cannabis and Glaucoma – Feb 2013 article on NorthwestLeaf.com

Cannabis & Cannabinoids for Glaucoma – Page on United Patient’s Group.

Medical Marijuana: A Look at Glaucoma – Jan 2013 article on truthonpot.com

Scholarly Articles and Medical Studies:

Cannabinoids and glaucoma – Oct 2003 study found at the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Effect of Marihuana on Intraocular and Blood Pressure in Glaucoma – Mar 1980 study found at ScienceDirect.com
Cannabinoids in glaucoma II: The effect of different cannabinoids on intraocular pressure of the rabbit – 1984 study found on informa healthcare.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the treatment of end-stage open-angle glaucoma – 2002 study found at the US National Library of Public Medicine.
Marijuana Smoking vs Cannabinoids for Glaucoma Therapy – Nov 1998 study found at JAMA Ophthalmology.
Cannabis in Medical Practice: A Legal, Historical, and Pharmacological overview of the therapeutic use of marijuana – 1997 Medical Book by Mary Lynn Mathre on books.google.com.

Cannabis Common Sense: Thomas Orvald MD Discusses Medical Cannabis and Glaucoma (3 min)
Short explanation on Glaucoma and how medical cannabis can help relieve intraocular pressure on the eye. Presented by MD Thomas Orvald.

Posted on youtube by Restore Hemp

Medical Marijuana – Glaucoma (Bob Randall) (3 min)
CNN excerpts of Bob Randall’s use of Federally supplied cannabis for his glaucoma. Interviews with his wife, and more can be found here.

Posted on youtube by Luke Slisz

Does Marijuana Cure Glaucoma? | Marijuana (3 min)
Interview with Dr. Sunil Kumar Aggarwal MD, PhD on medical marijuana for glaucoma. Interview provided by Howcast.

Posted on youtube by Howcast

Medical Cannabis in Wisconsin: Gary Storck talks of glaucoma and Wisconsin medical cannabis efforts (6 min)
Longtime medical marijuana patient/activist Gary Storck discusses his life with glaucoma and his interactions with Robert Randall’s fight with the Federal Government on safe access to cannabis.

Posted on youtube by 1Rx100372

Glaucoma and Cannabis: Elvy Musikka, Legal Patient 2010 (17 min)
Patient testimonial and interview with Elvy Musikka. She is part of the Federal program of using cannabis to treat glaucoma. Here she describes in detail the program, her previous treatments, and how marijuana has helped her to keep her eyesight to this day.

Posted on youtube by CannabisPatientNet

Denver Medical Marijuana Dispensary | Tips For Relief Of Glaucoma Symptoms (3 min)
Brief presentation on facts surrounding glaucoma and how medical marijuana could be useful for individuals suffering from the disease.

Posted on youtube by Sativa Indica

Understand that the Federal program that supplies medical marijuana to patients for research under NIDA has been around since the 1970s. Now realize that even in this day and age, in 2014 with 2 states having already legalized marijuana for recreational use and 20+ states having legalized medical access, cannabis is still classified as a “Schedule I drug with no accepted medical value” according the DEA and the US Department of Justice.

This classification, in addition to being blaringly hypocritical, is one of the primary reasons that research into cannabis’ medical potential is limited. Clinical trials that could lead to revolutionary medicines derived from cannabis are impeded by bureaucracy and politics. This is an issue that needs to be ameliorated through proper education on cannabis, and effective voting wherever it is still criminalized not just in the US, but throughout the rest of the world.

As such and as always, please share this information, and the rest of what you can find on this website with those you know. The widespread misconceptions and ignorance surrounding the cannabis plant is an egregious mistake that is gravely harmful to society; there is so much more that marijuana (also known as hemp) is capable of, not just as a medicine even, and it’s benefits are sadly overlooked.

Thank you for taking the time to read these entries.

– D