Does Marijuana Cure Glaucoma? | Marijuana

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In the 1970s, a man named Robert Randall who suffered from glaucoma sued the federal government because they had conducted studies showing that marijuana could relieve the pressure, the intraocular pressure from the eye. That is to say they federally funded studies done at UCLA showed when you actually used a medical device, the pressure on the eye would go down when you inhaled marijuana. He had discovered this himself and began to use it. He was a professor at, I believe, Rutgers University. And one day he came back from a vacation and saw that he was under arrest or had to report to the police station. So he did more research and found out that the science was there and he ended up suing in federal court and winning. National headlines showed a man who had won the right to use marijuana for glaucoma. And that’s part of how, in the 70s, we learned about this indication.

Since that time, we’ve begun to understand exactly what was going on in Mr. Randall’s eye and the eyes of all the patients who have been able to find relief with marijuana. And it turns out that there’s these two chambers, an anterior chamber and a posterior chamber in your eyeball and they have a fluid back and forth. And there’s a mesh called trabecular mesh that kind of gets tighter or loosens up and helps to increase the flow from the anterior to the posterior chamber. In glaucoma patients, that is disrupted, the flow and it builds up and it causes increased pressure which can damage the retina and optic nerve.

Turns out that there are chemical receptors called cannabinoid receptors that are on the nerves, on the neurons that, you know, help to regulate the strength of that trabecular mesh. And so if you inhale marijuana, you get this cannabinoids in your body and those cannabinoids can go all throughout the body into the bloodstream. And they go through the artery called the ophthalmic artery, which is the artery that supplies blood to your eye, and they seep over there and they touch that trabecular mesh. They bind to it and they can help to open it up a little bit and reduce the pressure. That’s what’s probably going on in glaucoma patients at a basic molecular level. And it turns out they may need to use several times a day. And a lot of ophthalmologists argue there are other medicines that you can use with eye drops. But really we have done no development. Some doctors once wanted to develop cannabis based eye drops, and unfortunately was never brought to studies.

So suffice it to say, we know in studies that cannabis can reduce the pressure in the eye and a lot of glaucoma patients have discovered that and a lot of medical marijuana states allow patients with this diagnosis to use this under a doctor’s supervision and allow them to be treated that way. But we need to do more research to develop better methods of delivering it so it can be effective and last longer. But for some patients who have failed lots of treatments, this is the only thing that keeps them from going blind.

40 Comments

  1. KylielVEVO on February 28, 2020 at 10:53 am

    first comment ..



  2. Harry Schaubel on February 28, 2020 at 10:54 am

    I’m 64. I 1st smoked pot at 18 and have been a regular user since around 23. In late 1979 I was told by an eye Dr who I went to get a spark removed (welding Insp) that I had Pigmentary Dispersion, a form of glaucoma. since that time I have seen several other Eye Dr’s for one reason or another but none of them saw anything till about 4 years ago when a VA Dr looked specifically for it. She was surprised that the Dr 32 YEARS earlier had seen it. Shortly after that I was given drops to take and 2 years ago had to wear glasses for driving.If I was not a pot smoker for all those years, how long ago would I have had to wear glasses and would I even be able to see today? One thing for sure if I have no plans to stop smoking. :]



  3. B on February 28, 2020 at 10:54 am

    There is no known cure for glaucoma. Please stop spreading misinformation.



  4. xxNexeah on February 28, 2020 at 10:56 am

    It should be legal, this is really a waste of money and resources to keep it illegal



  5. Justus Van Der Vegt on February 28, 2020 at 10:57 am

    Cannaboid eye drops were most certainly properly studied. They were debunked as a medication because of short duration an only a small effect on intraoccular pressure. Scientific review has showed that cannabis should not be considered for the treatment of glaucoma. There are 5 medications and several surgical interventions that can help manage glaucoma, all well studies and vastly superior in outcome to cannabis use.



  6. Pedro Gameiro on February 28, 2020 at 10:58 am

    cbd oil taken sublingually, works wonders for my wife.

    http://www.hempworx.com/pedrogameiro



  7. allthings real on February 28, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Why does my doctor tell me this doesn’t work then when my eye doctor told me to get a prescription for it?



  8. B on February 28, 2020 at 11:00 am

    Marijuana can lower eye pressures for 3 to 4 hours. It does nothing to protect against optic nerve damage or reverse nerve damage. Videos like this are misleading. And to the people saying "I want glaucoma" — no, no you don’t.



  9. Michael Sears on February 28, 2020 at 11:03 am

    nicotine causes blood clotting



  10. patrickreads89 on February 28, 2020 at 11:05 am

    I’m 26 and I have glaucoma which sucks!



  11. Jack Spratt on February 28, 2020 at 11:08 am

    my pressures we’re like 24 and hurting the optic nerve. with a procedure done to my eyes the pressure went to 15. then about 6 mo later the press went up again and i have been on drops twice a day, press is now back to 15. pot may help to lower pressure but once the optic nerve is damaged its too late for THC. I believe that hight blood press and diabetes lead to more eye damage. ToXMoMo you can fix cataracts and get drops to lower the press, what is your problem?



  12. jmvb on February 28, 2020 at 11:11 am

    All doctor prescribed glaucoma medicine did for me was to lead  to stronger eye drops and laser surgery. The only time doctor prescribed glaucoma medicine worked for me was when I used marijuana. I believe marijuana also works to fight diabetic retinopathy. 49 years of diabetes and 34 years of glaucoma have proved to me what works. Experience works, opinion does not.



  13. budhunter09 on February 28, 2020 at 11:11 am

    Intra-occular pressure is relieved by cannabis strains high in CBG…I said ‘relieved’…I don’t know about "cured"…so in effect this would be a ‘treatment’ and probably not a ‘cure’…daily consumption, multiple times daily (probably 4X daily)…



  14. Manuel on February 28, 2020 at 11:12 am

    My nose is crooked to the left and thus my right pupil gets dialated more than my left and I fear this will lead to glaucoma bc my eye gets irritated. The only solution to me is correcting my crooked nose so then my eyes have the same focus.



  15. Senen Hernandez on February 28, 2020 at 11:13 am

    I have vision problems what marijuana strain do you recommend



  16. Captain AhabO on February 28, 2020 at 11:15 am

    Marijuana has not kept any glaucoma patients from going blind. Marijuana may reduce pressure for short periods but studies show it does nothing to change the progression or outcome of the disease. Sorry marijuana worshipers!



  17. sam lim on February 28, 2020 at 11:15 am

    Sadly I have Glaucoma at the age of 34.
    I smoke weed regularly and have to take medicinal eye drops for the rest of my life.



  18. Lyndsey Hogan on February 28, 2020 at 11:15 am

    Omg what



  19. Mary Brewer on February 28, 2020 at 11:17 am

    cannabis based eye drops are a great idea!



  20. Xx-SkaRS _714xX on February 28, 2020 at 11:19 am

    I’m 14 and I might have glaucoma, my doctor told me



  21. Mitchel on February 28, 2020 at 11:23 am

    I got pot oil I’m my eye once and it sucked. just as bad as bud in the eye. If they can make an eye drop that would be cool though. I have a ten year old cat that seems to have some sort of degenerative eye disease and would love to treat it without 4 grand out of my pocket at once, like if its 4 grand over the course of years from buying a monthly bottle of eye drops would be better.



  22. BJ Kindigihow on February 28, 2020 at 11:24 am

    Hemp Sativa seed oil does cure.



  23. MaC Stackz on February 28, 2020 at 11:25 am

    FETTY WAP



  24. Lindsey-sue Ricco on February 28, 2020 at 11:26 am

    Could this be because marijuana increases adrenaline?



  25. Herb Burnah on February 28, 2020 at 11:29 am

    You cannot deny that cannabis should be legal.



  26. Johnny Riccardo on February 28, 2020 at 11:34 am

    First the worst second the best.



  27. thomas tyrek on February 28, 2020 at 11:36 am

    Omg! Give me glaucoma god please lol



  28. Loyda Santana on February 28, 2020 at 11:36 am

    This is a succinct and detailed explanation of how cannabis interacts with the nervous system. I hope you are an educator because you are a great teacher. 👏👏👏



  29. Clapton on February 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

    (_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅_̅­_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅­()ڪ



  30. Sonu Kasana Pardan on February 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

    i am glucoma patent 5 operations but ziro result no vision in my right eye



  31. Michael Cook on February 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

    You should see the list of side effects for my eyes drops



  32. Reuben Atlantis on February 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Holy truth, good information



  33. MaC Stackz on February 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

    yes marijuana something not pain like surgery



  34. Lari ASMR on February 28, 2020 at 11:39 am

    pena que não está traduzido ao português queria tanto entender issoo



  35. Latin Tribe on February 28, 2020 at 11:40 am

    drink weed tea



  36. AKR pooh on February 28, 2020 at 11:41 am

    So is taking marijuana better than taking eye drops such as Vyzulta and Dorzolamide?



  37. Julian john on February 28, 2020 at 11:41 am

    thank you for that i know cannabis can cure many things but this is kinda new for me thanks for sharing 😉



  38. Vasilka Avramovska on February 28, 2020 at 11:49 am

    It can!It cured mine.



  39. Robert Whitley on February 28, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Marijuana is some kind of wonder drug.Glaucoma,Cancer,Diabetes,it treats it all!People who use the stuff on a daily basis must be super healthy….right?



  40. All About Glaucoma Jasmyn Polite on February 28, 2020 at 11:51 am

    I have glaucoma an I would like to use cannibis for my pressures.