April 16, 2025
by Weedwonderland
3 minutes
Cannabis and Glaucoma: Understanding the Therapeutic Connection
Glaucoma is a group of conditions that involve elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) that impacts the optic nerve and progressively destroys it. Prolonged progression of glaucoma can lead to permanent vision impairment or total vision loss. Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss globally, affecting many individuals, thus warrants the need for effective treatment methods for every patient who receives a diagnosis of glaucoma.
Glaucoma & Medical cannabis
The relationship between treatment of glaucoma and cannabis started from the initial research completed in the 1970s. Initial studies on cannabis proved that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, was capable of temporarily reducing intraocular pressure. The finding led to pursuing various cannabis treatments for glaucoma, especially for patients who have failed standard therapeutic treatments.Mechanisms
Cannabis works on glaucoma through the direct involvement with the endogenous cannabinoid system, which contains receptors in the tissue of the eye. Cannabinoids can affect several different functional physiologies, such as: reducing aqueous humor production, increasing aqueous humor, providing neuroprotection to cells of the retina, and reducing inflammation in the eye.Does cannabis help glaucoma?
Cannabis therapy is nutrition dependent. To appropriately assess the effectiveness of systemically administered cannabis compared to current FDA approved glaucoma therapies, the research that exists must be carefully examined. Cannabis reduces IOP by 25-30%, but the duration is limited (3-4 hours). The duration of current topical medications typically lasts 24 hours, and their effects can be tolerated by patients with minimal effects.The limitations of medical cannabis for the treatment of glaucoma can be attributed to:
- Patient would need to take medicine frequently (ie at night),
- Patients may be cognitively impaired after taking medicinal cannabis,
- There are potential cardiovascular risks that could reduce the blood flow to the optic nerve,
- Prolonged use and possible tolerance that occurs with prolonged exposure,
- There are no standard dosing methods for cannabis products.
Cannabis & glaucoma: Considerations for Patients
For any patient who is potentially considering the use of cannabis as part of their treatment for glaucoma, should first consider a thorough consultation with both ophthalmology and a physician experienced in using medical cannabis. Starting treatment using medical cannabis without external oversight could lead to catastrophic situations, in which the patient has failed to adequately reduce eye pressure, and their disease continued to progress and thus losing visual function.Potential Treatment Options
As cannabis can be useful for relieving symptoms, patients must also realize that cannabis should be an adjunct to therapy and not considered the only cure. The most reasonable approach to this situation is to include a treatment plan where more than one therapeutic approach is included and may depend on the individual, their preferences, and their previous symptoms to medical treatment. Any cannabis should not replace conventional treatments, but a combination of treatments can be part of an integrated solution. Take a look at our collection of carefully selected weed strains and cannabis products. Order today at Weed Wonderland for safe, reliable delivery and professional guidance on the appropriate use of weed strains
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