Pro

Denver Relief, a medical marijuana dispensary, stated the following in an article on its website titled "Glaucoma and Cannabis," available at denverrelief.com (accessed Apr. 3, 2014):

“Medication may be prescribed to control the pressure, but cannabis is also very effective at reducing the [intraocular] pressure thus preventing damage that can lead to blindness. The THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol) and other cannabinoids present in medicinal marijuana have an advantage over pharmaceuticals as the variety of cannabinoids is superior to synthetic, single-ingredient medications.

The reason most cited by opponents of using cannabis as a treatment for glaucoma is that to maintain the therapeutic effect a patient must smoke frequently which may have long term effects on the lungs. Yet, with the wide availability of edibles which last considerably longer and vaporizers, this is not reason enough to disregard marijuana altogether.

There are many pharmaceutical options for the treatment of glaucoma, but they may lose effectiveness over time while cannabis has a consistent effect. While there is no known cure, cannabis is an effective treatment for glaucoma.”

Apr. 3, 2014