I've just been diagnosed with glaucoma. I've heard that marijuana can help treat glaucoma. Is there any merit to this treatment?

Jason

Marijuana was used medically in the early 1900s for nausea and pain. Its effects on the eye were discovered more recently, and it has been discussed as a treatment for glaucoma.

Glaucoma is an eye condition characterized by elevated pressure inside the eye. The high pressure gradually damages the optic nerve, leading to slow loss of vision. If untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness.

The discovery that raised the possibility of using marijuana to treat glaucoma was made by doctors at the University of California, Los Angeles. They found that a person's eye pressure decreases dramatically after he or she smokes marijuana. This information seemed very exciting at first. However, the doctors soon learned that the pressure-lowering effects of marijuana last just a few hours. Maintaining a low eye pressure would require a patient to smoke marijuana practically the entire day, which would pose a risk of damage to the lungs and other complications.

Fortunately, there are many excellent medications to treat glaucoma. They require just one to three drops per day and have few side effects. You should ask your doctor about which drug might be right for you.