Marijuana Use and Benefits For The Treatment of Glaucoma

After cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world. It has affected over 60 million people worldwide. Glaucoma is caused by a gradual buildup of excess fluid within the body of the eye. When excess fluid causes an increase in pressure to the eye, the optic nerve can become seriously compromised leading to blindness. Research findings from as far back as 1970 revealed that marijuana contains active ingredients, which can both reduce intraocular pressure within the eye as well as the pain caused by the actual condition.

Medical marijuana has also been used to reduce the acute and chronic pain associated with terminally ill cancer patients with notable effectiveness. It also has a rich history of offering relief from such things as nausea, migraines, menstrual cramps and painful muscle spasms.

The medical benefit of marijuana is not a new phenomenon in this country. To the contrary, prior to 1937, there were approximately 27 different types of prescribed medicines that contained THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Established pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Squibb developed many of these THC based medicines with relatively high degrees of success. However, the federal government, by enacting the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, caused the blanket prohibition of marijuana to be used as a lawful medication.

Exactly how medical marijuana works in cases of glaucoma is not completely understood but it is thought that marijuana produces certain chemical compounds that can effectively reduce intraocular pressure within the eye.

Conventional treatment for glaucoma has concentrated on preserving eyesight by slowing the damage to the optical nerve brought on by a dangerous increase in intraocular pressure. Treatment options involve medications that lower the pressure inside the eye. This is why medical marijuana has received so much attention from patients suffering from glaucoma. However, a new generation glaucoma treatments now being released are promising to be more effective then medical marijuana because of the ability of these medications to actually reverse the progress of the disease.

A major drawback of having to use medical marijuana to relieve glaucoma symptoms is that marijuana has a fairly short lifespan