Can Cannabis cure Glaucoma?
Personally ii am fascinated by
the eyes since they are the only part of the brain which we can see from the
outside.
“Our
eyes do not see what we think they see.
They are actually receiving a constant influx of tiny electrical
impulses which they convert into pictures imprinted upside down on a screen at
the back of our head.
In fact the ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’
saying that we’re so indoctrinated with in the Western rational world is
actually the wrong way round. The truth
is, ‘We’ll see it when we believe it.’ ~ Davina MacKail author The Dream
Whisperer
“I’ll believe in fairies when I see them,” he said
“No,” she said.
“You have to believe in fairies before you can see them.”
“All of us ‘see’ but some see more than others. There are worlds waiting for those who look.”
~ Joyce Petshek
The very first time ii
realised that Cannabis can cure eye problems was back in 1991 when ii heard a
story told by my Elders about a doctor from England who went to study in
Jamaica because he had heard that the Rastafarian fishermen claimed to have
night vision. Indeed the fishermen
combined Cannabis with a rum beverage and truly they proved to the doctor that
they in fact did have night vision after consuming Cannabis. The alcohol in the rum extracted the
Cannabinoids and this resulted in increased sensitivity to light by the retinal
ganglion cells.
Field testing to measure ‘dark
adaptometry’ (night vision) was made possible with a portable device called the
‘LKC Technologies Scotopic Sensitivity Tester-1 (SST-1)’.
These findings then encouraged
researchers to pursue this field of study using synthetic Cannabinoid products
like Marinol. Improvements in night
vision were observed in every case study.
Often, it’s not until glaucoma
is at an advanced stage that the related vision loss becomes apparent, and by
then your sight may have already suffered permanent damage.
The nerve damage caused by
glaucoma cannot be reversed, but with early detection and proper therapy,
blindness can be prevented in most cases.
This is why it’s so important
to take steps NOW to help protect your vision, even if your eyesight is normal.
In a healthy eye, the fluid is
regularly drained, however in those with glaucoma the drainage system doesn’t
work properly, so the fluid gradually builds up in your eye, causing increased
pressure. This is referred to as intraocular pressure. So over time, the
increased pressure causes the death of nerve fibres which are essential to
vision.
So glaucoma is an eye condition which can lead to blindness because of
imbalances in intraocular pressure.
Believe it or not although
less common, glaucoma can also occur when eye pressure is normal. In some
people their optic nerves may be sensitive to normal levels of eye pressure, or
the glaucoma may be related to problems with blood flow to your eye, which may
be caused by atherosclerosis -- the accumulation of plaques in your arteries --
or some other circulation problem and even high blood pressure.
In the most common type of
glaucoma, open-angle (chronic) glaucoma, side (peripheral) vision is usually
affected first. In the later stages, glaucoma can lead to “tunnel vision,”
where you can only see straight ahead, and can eventually lead to blindness.
The symptoms are gradual and come on very slowly, so you may not realize your
vision is being impacted until a much later stage when possibly it is too late
to do anything.
THE RISK OF
GLAUCOMA
According to the statistics
this condition is projected to affect 80 million people by 2020. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of
blindness in the world. The leading cause of blindness remains cataracts. In Sub-Saharan Africa the primary cause is
also cataracts (50%) and glaucoma at 15%.
So it is a very serious
disease affecting around 5.5 million new sufferers every year. And it seems as
though this disease prejudices against women and people with darker skins but
it can certainly also affect young adults, children and even infants.
The reason why glaucoma affects more people of color is because they have
a much higher concentration of Melanin in their skin surfaces therefore the
UV-B penetration is lower and they then produce lower Vitamin D levels. So
people of color therefore need a lot more sun exposure in order to produce
adequate Vitamin D.
For this reason people of color are also at increased risk
for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and of course glaucoma
especially people living in the northern hemisphere. So yes black and colored
people do get more sick than white people and ii urge my brothers and sisters
of color to please not just believe that it is your genetics…this is nonsense…the
reason why black people get more sick is because of Vitamin D deficiency.
The Importance of Vitamin D
Through
my research ii have also come to realise that the majority of medical
conditions are related to a Vitamin D deficiency and this is also in line with
my belief that all disease including mental disease stems from the digestive
tract and involve bacteria. Glaucoma is
no different.
The only
real way to absorb this fat soluble vitamin which is actually a hormone and
affects over 3000 (probably more if not all) of our genes is from
sunlight.
Personally
ii believe that we have all been brain washed to believe that the sun is bad
for us and many people are actually now scared of the sun. But ii can guarantee you if the
pharmaceutical industry could find a way to charge you for using the sun they
would then tell you the truth about sunlight and optimum health.
Already
you can find papers on the net about how microbes seem to shape autism and
other degenerative brain disorders and so it is very important to be aware that
the body and brain needs Vitamin D from the sun to keep valuable gut bacteria
alive.
Gut bacteria needs Vitamin
D in order to survive…
So the destruction of our
natural gut bacteria leads to inflammation in the brain and the body leading to
the increase in the large variety of illnesses we are seeing all over the world
today.
Vitamin D affects our
entire gastric tract and we have Vitamin D receptors in our brains, spinal
cord, digestive tract, salivary glands, our teeth, esophageal sphincter, islet
cells of the pancreas, the stomach cells and indeed even in the eyes. It is also interesting that we have Cannabinoid
receptors in all these sites and even in our teeth pulp and eyes.
One of
the biggest lies ever told to us is that the sun causes cancer so let’s take a
look at the facts.
It is
said then that when travelling from either the north or south- pole towards the
equator that UV exposure increases by up to 5000% whereas ozone depletion only
increases exposure by 20%. So if UVB
exposure and ozone depletion were in fact the cause of skin cancer then surely
the people living closest to the equator would be diagnosed with malignant
melanoma at an alarming rate…well the reality is that the opposite is truth.
To this
day no scientific studies have ever proven that sunlight causes cancer in
humans. And in fact there is plenty of
evidence to the contrary where over the years several studies have confirmed
that appropriate sun exposure actually helps to prevent skin cancer and
melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and
can actually be increased by sunscreen products.
Most of
these studies that try so hard to find a cause have only actually found links
and many scientists have established that actually it is the toxicity level
(usually always in the digestive tract and largely in the liver) of the human
body which reacts with UV rays which causes cancer and not the sunlight itself.
Sunlight does not cause skin cancer and in fact it is our best defense
against cancer.
If you do
the research you will see that the majority of sun protection products in fact
contain ingredients with serious health and safety concerns. Almost half of the
500 most popular products may actually increase the speed at which malignant
cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain certain carcinogenic
agents which speed up tumor growth. But most of all they simply block out the
vital UV rays our bodies and brains need to survive and if you deprive the body
of sunlight it is the same as putting a healthy plant in a dark cupboard and
even if you give it water and nutrients and air it will still die it is the
exact same with humans except the process is longer.
While
researching this paper ii found it fascinating that since the advent of sunglasses
in 1929 cancer cases started increasing and the reason for this is that this
fashion accessory actually blocks out the vital UV rays which the brain needs
in order for cells to communicate with each other.
It has been scientifically proven that cells communicate via light
carried by neuro-transmitters.
Sunglasses
therefore also block the Pineal gland (Third Eye).
So the
Pineal gland receives the white light from the lens of the eye and breaks the
white light from the sun down into the full spectrum of the colours of light to
be distributed around the body so for example when the body needs to make blood
the Pineal gland then sends out red light and say green light when the body
needs to create bile for instance.
Sunglasses can actually contribute towards skin cancer…
So when you are wearing sunglasses you are basically telling the body
that it is getting darker outside and that it no longer needs to produce
Melanin. The lack of Melanin during daylight sun exposure while wearing
sunglasses will cause the UV-A portion of the UV light to enter the skin much
more deeply than it normally would if you were not wearing sunglasses. The
higher concentration of UV-A in the deeper parts of the skin due to the lack of
Melanin causes cell mutation which can then lead to skin cancer. Melanin
protects the skin against sun damage and skin cancer.
The natural contrast of light during the day and night that your body
(and eyes) are exposed to helps assure healthy hormonal secretions and healthy
sleep. Sunglasses inhibit this process. This is a scientific fact.
If your eyes are not
consistently exposed to the various array of UV light, then your ability to
adapt to light will diminish as well as your vision. This too is a scientific
fact.
Because your eyes are
designed to interact with sunlight, wearing sunglasses for long periods of time
can become a considerable stress. Your eyes are being forced to operate,
perceive, and take in data through an unnatural “tint”. In this way, your eyes
are actually being forced to work harder than usual. And when your eyes are
constantly exposed to this kind of stress they will naturally become fatigued
and weaken.
There is a definite link
between Vitamin D deficiency and visual functioning in older adults especially
in respect of visual clarity.
Studies also show
that a significant amount of people with glaucoma also have Vitamin D
deficiency.
So lower Vitamin D levels are then
associated with greater incidence of open angle glaucoma.
Breast feeding moms need to be
aware that breast milk does not contain enough Vitamin D and therefore both mum
and baby need to supplement.
Also at risk of Vitamin D
deficiency are people with disorders such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease
who don’t handle fat properly, because Vitamin D needs fat to be absorbed. It
is exactly the same as Cannabinoid absorption in the body.
Nearly all Vitamin D
‘overdose’ or toxicity occurs from taking too many supplements. Naturally our bodies control the amount of
Vitamin D it produces. In order to
‘overdose’ you would need to consume about 40 000 IU per day for a few
months. At most ii ask my patients to take 3000 IU per day as a supplement.
The main risk of too much
Vitamin D is hypercalcemia which is a build-up of calcium in the blood and can
lead to poor appetite, nausea, frequent urination and kidney problems. When the
high dose is reduced these symptoms generally disappear.
Some pharmaceutical
drugs negatively affect the way our body absorbs Vitamin D and Phyto
Cannabinoids.
People need to know that many
pharmaceutical drugs like anti epileptics, anti- cholesterol drugs and believe
it or not even some anti-osteoporosis drugs all can affect the way in which the
body absorbs Vitamin D by increasing its break down and reducing calcium
absorption. This is exactly how anti
osteoporosis drugs can cause more fractures because of the way they alter the
body’s uptake of this vital vitamin. Some of these medications also affect our
ability to absorb Cannabinoids.
There are studies underway
where researchers are revealing the role of Vitamin D in the aging process
particularly eye aging. Some results reveal that after just 6 weeks of
receiving the supplement improvements that were noticed included improved
vision, reduction of retinal inflammation and levels of amyloid beta
accumulation and reduction in retinal macrophage population (macrophages are
immune cells that cause inflammation).
These are very interesting studies because these
findings suggest that Vitamin D3 may very well help prevent age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), which is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly.
AMD is associated with both amyloid beta accumulation and inflammation, and Vitamin
D supplementation certainly seems to benefit both of these conditions.
Researchers concluded:
"These changes were reflected in a significant
improvement in visual function, revealing that vitamin D3 is a route to avoiding the pace of age-related
visual decline. Excess amyloid beta deposition and inflammation are risk
factors leading to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the largest cause of
blindness in those older than 50 years in developed countries.
Recently, vitamin D3 has been linked epidemiologically to protection
against age-related macular degeneration. Hence, vitamin D3 enrichment is likely to represent a beneficial
route for those at risk."
GETTING THE CORRECT
DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT
Generally
ophthalmologists rely on a fairly simple ‘air puff’ test to check the eye
pressure.
When getting
screened for this disease it is also important to have your corneal thickness
measured using a ‘pachymetry test’. The thickness of the cornea can greatly
influence the readings on air puff tests.
It is said that
about 2 million Americans have glaucoma without realising it and often times
the condition is misdiagnosed because of corneal thickness and incorrect
readings.
Conventional
medicine’s solution to glaucoma is typically drugs or surgery, or a combination
of them. Often eye drops are given to glaucoma patients to use for life in an
attempt to lower pressure inside of their eyes. Some of the side effects
include:
Blurred vision respiratory
problems, forgetfulness, lowered heart rate and burning or stinging of the eyes.
Sadly surgery also carries with it some serious risks, among them an increased
risk of cataracts. But truly ii do have a lot of respect for some of the
amazing work eye specialists are doing today.
LIFESTYLE AND
GLAUCOMA
Some professionals will tell
you that glaucoma has nothing to do with blood pressure but ii do find it quite
interesting to note that the same lifestyle changes that lower blood pressure will
also work to lower eye pressure, thereby helping to prevent and even treat
glaucoma without the risk of side effects.
Later on we will look at the
link between diabetes and glaucoma but truly one of the best things you can
ever do for your body is to lower your insulin levels.
When insulin levels rise, our
blood pressure, and eye pressure also increase. So over time this can cause the
body to become insulin resistant, and studies have already shown how insulin
resistance, which is common in people with diabetes, obesity and high blood
pressure, is linked to increased eye pressure.
The only solution is to avoid
sugar and grains as these two ‘food groups’ will most certainly cause surges in
your insulin levels. Even whole or organic grains will rapidly break down to
sugars, so it is best to avoid these as well.
If you wish to avoid sugar or
if you are concerned about glaucoma you will need to think about avoiding foods
like breads, rice, cereals, pasta and potatoes.
One of the best
ways to lower your insulin levels is to exercise regularly.
So truly diet and
exercise are the two top tactics to taking care of your eyesight. Many people
have never heard of lutein and zeaxanthin.
According to Dr Joseph Mercola these two are ‘vision powerhouses’ and
are really important for our eyesight.
Both are fat
soluble (meaning you must consume with a healthy fat like coconut oil in order
for the body to absorb) carotenoids found green leafy vegetables and act as an
antioxidant which protects cells from the damage of free radicals. Zeaxanthin
is also found in egg yolks although the cooking process does cause some damage
and this is why we should consume raw egg yolks for eyesight improvement.
Traditional
Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for 5000 years and ii
am a huge fan because a lot of my Cannabis Medicine Research comes from this
ancient branch of medicine.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine glaucoma relates to a liver
imbalance and again as ii have noted in so many patients regardless of their
disorders they all tend to have liver problems.
Fluids generally tend to flow downwards in the
body so when fluids flow unnaturally upwards to the eyes then it is believed to
involve the liver since the liver is responsible for circulating The Life
Energy or Qi Energy throughout the body.
When the liver is imbalanced it stagnates and creates a heat which then
rises within the body. This is referred to as Liver Fire resulting from Liver
Qi inactivity. If the liver fails to adequately circulate Qi throughout the
body then sufficient Qi Energy may not reach the eyes resulting in all kinds of
eye problems including glaucoma.
All diseases stems
from gut bacteria…
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH) estimate that around 90% of cells in the human body are bacterial,
fungal or otherwise non-human. These statistics also imply that we have only
just begun to grasp the full extent to which bacteria work to facilitate their
own survival by continuing to enjoy a commensal relationship with their human
hosts where one organism benefits from the host without causing any harm to the
host.
This symbiotic relationship only prevails when the body is in balance
and when there is imbalance medical conditions result.
It is also obvious that we have greatly underestimated both the size and
diversity of bacterial populations. In a recent environmental study of samples
from human hands, the study revealed 100 times more species than had previously
been detected using purely culture-based methods.
And another study which also used high
throughput genomic sequencing discovered high numbers of hydrothermal vent
bacteria on prosthetic hip joints. This
is a species of bacteria once thought to only survive in the depths of the
ocean.
It has now been realized by molecular biologists around the world that
there is indeed a very rich exchange of DNA among microbes.
So there are many studies which now link glaucoma back to the gut. The bacteria identified as the culprit in glaucoma
is known as Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori or ii call it ‘Helicopter pylori’.
There are many research papers
available on this topic of bacteria but specifically almost 90% of glaucoma
patients test positive for H. pylori infection.
This bacteria lives in the upper
gastric intestinal tract so that is the mouth, duodenum and the lining of the
stomach. Normally the stomach is uninviting to bacteria and other
microorganisms because of its high acidity but H. pylori has shrewdly evolved
to protect itself from acid by secreting ammonia.
H. pylori also promotes platelet
and leucocyte accumulation which plays a role in the development of
glaucoma. They stimulate the body to
produce pro-inflammatory and vasoactive substances like cytokines, eicosanoids
and acute phase proteins. All of these cause
vaso-constriction (tightening of vessels) which will increase the intraocular
pressure of the eyes.
In a recent study researchers
checked on patients two years after the study began and found that patients in
whom H. pylori was successfully eradicated, eye pressure and mean visual field
parameters improved, but not in the other patients.
According to The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
almost 2/3 of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori…wow that’s
around 4 billion people.
Many medical researchers now
believe that H. pylori may be involved in a number of other non-digestive
conditions as well, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders and
other vascular dysfunctions, like migraines and Raynaud's disease (impaired
circulation in the hands and feet); and no surprises it has also been
associated with diabetes.
Bacteria produce hydrogen as
they feed and grow and this hydrogen is picked up in a lactulose breath test
which is the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to measuring bacterial overgrowth in
the small intestine.
How do gut bacteria work in the body?
Whether good or bad when
bacteria overrun the small intestine problems quickly occur.
The function of the small
intestine is to carry food from one end of the digestive tract to the other. If
there are not enough of the correct enzymes in the small intestine then food
slows its travel time and this is when bacterial populations start growing.
When the food transit process is slowed down this gives food a chance to rot
and microbial communities the opportunity to grow in the gut.
The most common problems are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Research studies have now
shown that people with glaucoma almost all have Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
and a greater incidence of IBS and SIBO (over 70%), in other words a greater
incidence of digestive problems.
Oftentimes for instance in the case
of diabetes and hypothyroidism bacteria from the large intestine creeps up into
the small intestine giving these bacteria the opportunity to multiply profusely
.
What we eat also affects the
bacterial balance in our guts and so when we eat a carbohydrate high meal or if
we are unable to break down certain plant fibres, we see an overgrowth of resident
bacteria.
The link between
glaucoma and diabetes
Diabetes is a complex disease resulting from
the inability of the body to produce insulin, a hormone that takes sugar out of
the blood and into cells where it can be used for energy.
Without enough insulin, there is too much sugar in your blood. Diabetes
affects more than 29 million people worldwide. The most common form of diabetes
is adult-onset diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes typically strikes those who are
over 40, overweight and have a sedentary lifestyle.
A common complication of diabetes is diabetic eye disease. This is a
group of vision-threatening eye problems that
people with diabetes can develop and glaucoma is one of these eye problems.
The relationship between diabetes and open-angle glaucoma (the most
common type of glaucoma), has intrigued researchers for years. People with
diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as are non-diabetics.
A rare type of glaucoma Neo-vascular glaucoma, is commonly associated
with diabetes. In some cases of diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels on the
retina are damaged and the retina manufactures new and abnormal blood vessels.
Neo-vascular glaucoma occurs if these new blood vessels grow on the iris
(the coloured part of the eye), closing off the fluid flow in the eye and
raising the eye pressure.
So if you have been
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes you really ought to be taking extra care to take
care of your eyesight.
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT CANNABIS?
To investigate what Cannabis does to the
cells of the eyes experiments were conducted on the tadpoles of the African
clawed toad because it is a scientific fact that these tadpoles have
Cannabinoid receptors in their retinas.
Basically, the results showed that retinal
ganglion cells, our essential inner eye neurons, become more sensitive to light
after being exposed to Cannabis. Researchers were also able to show that
Cannabis caused the retinal ganglion cells to fire more rapidly in response to
both bright and dim light.
Researchers have now proven that there are
more CB1 receptors in the eye than in the brain, so we can conclude that
whatever was going on was happening within the retina rather than the visual
cortex of the brain.
There are 10 reasons why Cannabis has the potential to cure
glaucoma:
- Cannabinoids reduce the
concentration of chloride ions inside the retinal ganglion cells making
them more excitable and more sensitive to light.
- Cannabinoids
significantly reduce intraocular pressure by up to between 25% and 30% and
often more.
- Cannabinoids have neuro-protective
properties.
- Cannabinoids have
antioxidant properties allowing them to prevent neuronal death of retinal
ganglion cells which is the main cause of glaucoma.
- Cannanbinoids have
vaso-relaxant properties and are able to increase ocular blood flow.
- Cannabinoids maintain
homeostasis (balance) in the body at cellular level.
- Cannabis
has far fewer side effects than pharmaceutical drugs.
- Cannabis
regulates metabolic processes and plays a big role in the command over
diabetes.
- Cannabis
stimulates the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin D
- Cannabis
stimulates the Pineal gland to produce Melanin, Melatonin and Seratonin.
Doctor Sunita Radhakrishnan, MD specializes in the medical and surgical
treatment of glaucoma at the Glaucoma
Centre of San Francisco. She is also Research Director at the Glaucoma Research and Education Group in San
Francisco.
“The fact of the matter: The only way to treat glaucoma is to lower IOP,
and an effective way to lower IOP — according to literally hundreds of
anecdotal patient testimonies and volumes of research studies dating back 45
years — is to consume cannabis via smoking,
vaporizing,
eating, or sublingually as a tincture.
For
some patients who have failed lots of treatments, [cannabis] is the
only thing that keeps them from going blind.”
Basically this is how it works.
Fluid flows between two chambers in the eye, the anterior in the front
and the posterior behind. There is an
area of tissue located around the base of the cornea which controls the flow of
fluid between the anterior and posterior chambers.
So in glaucoma patients, the flow of fluid between the chambers is
disrupted resulting in increased pressure in the eye. This pressure then causes damage to the
retina and optic nerve and in severe cases can lead to blindness.
Did you know you have Cannabinoid receptors in your eyes?
It turns out that the neurons
(brain cells) which control that area of tissue around the base of the cornea
which controls the flow of the fluid also have Cannabinoid receptors.
This means that this area of
tissue accepts both Endocannabinoids (those made naturally in our bodies) and
phyto-Cannabinoids (from plant source e.g. Cannabis).
Cannabinoids therefore move
through the ophthalmic artery to enter the eyes and begin reducing the
intraocular pressure by binding with these naturally occurring Cannabinoid
receptors. This is not new knowledge we have known this for the past 45 years
and the Chinese have known for over 5000 years.
There was a very interesting
study published in the British Journal of
Ophthalmology in 2004. This study
found that unlike other conditions which are treated by Cannabis glaucoma does
not rely on the effect of the Cannanbinoids on the central nervous system but
instead it was found that the true medicinal worth was the fact that the
efficiency of Cannabis was localized and this is because there are Cannabinoid
receptors within the eyes and not only in the visual cortex of the brain.
This then proves that relief
can also be gained from topical applications of Cannabis such as eye drops. Cannabinoids increase blood flow to the eye
and therefore can deliver essential healing Cannabinoids directly to the eye
for repair.
EFFECTIVE CANNABIS DOSING
It is true that effective
Cannabis dosing needs to be frequent, say every 4 hours and as such there is a
concern amongst medical doctors about interruption of sleep patterns which can
then lead to other problems such as ineffective healing.
Firstly we must remember that
the reason why Cannabis makes us sleep so well is because it stimulates our
Pineal gland to produce Melatonin the hormone which controls our sleep-wake
patterns so for me personally this is not a real cause for concern and truly ii
can tell you that ii always tell my patients regardless of their condition that
the first way to tell that Cannabis medicine is working is by gaging their
sleep patterns and ii have never had a patient tell me that they could not
sleep on Cannabis medicine.
There is an alternative way to
consume Cannabis for longer lasting relief and this is to consume edibles. When Cannabinoids are eaten they are
metabolized differently because they pass through the stomach and liver instead
of the lungs.
The difference is that when
consuming edibles the effects will only kick in after about 2 hours as opposed
to smoking and vaping which begins to take effect after only around 2 to 3
minutes but the effects of edibles will last up to 8 hours.
Why does Cannabis make our eyes red?
Interestingly enough the main reason our eyes become red after smoking
Cannabis is also the main reason why Cannabis is becoming renowned for its
treatment of glaucoma. Basically Cannabis reduces blood pressure, which in turn
causes blood vessels and capillaries to dilate. The ocular capillaries dilate
which increases the flow of blood to the eyes and naturally reduces intraocular
pressure.
A lot of people will argue that this is not a good idea and red eyes
surely must be a sign of a problem. Some
people will tell you that Cannabis sets your brain on fire and this is why your
eyes go red. Even ii have heard these
lessons from some of my Elders who now only promote raw consumption of
Cannabis.
What ii can tell you is that the red eyes effect of Cannabis is short
lived just like the psychedelic effects, the laughing and the increased
appetite, ii honestly cannot remember when last someone commented on me having
red eyes, except maybe when ii was testing BHO products but that is another
story. The reality is that the stronger
the THC strain the redder your eyes will be but as said before this is also
short lived. Some people will even say that actually the weaker the THC strain
the more red the eyes…so yes everyone is different, every eye is different and
indeed every Cannabis plant is different.
So for example a person can smoke a low THC strain one day and have
little to no eye redness, while the very next day their eyes may be blood shot
after eating a high THC strain edible product.
This explanation also explains why red eyes can still occur even in the
absence of smoke proving that it is not the smoke which makes our eyes red but
the actual Cannabinoids.
Personally ii would take red eyes over blindness any day.
So increased blood flow creates the redness, while the decrease in
ocular pressure is the same effect which benefits glaucoma patients.
Patient Testimonies
There is an overwhelming amount of research into the link between
Cannabis and glaucoma dating back long before the internet to the early 1970’s.
In fact the research world has not really come up with much more new research
than we have already known for the past 40 years or so. So the only logical conclusion is that
Cannabis has a positive effect on lowering intraocular pressure in glaucoma
patients.
For me personally some of the most convincing evidence for the success
of Cannabis for glaucoma is provided by patient testimonies. There are
literally thousands of patient testimonials regarding the effectiveness of
Cannabis for this disease on the net.
The patient who sued the federal government of America…
One of my favourite patient testimonies
is that of US Robert Randall who found relief for his glaucoma using Cannabis
having been diagnosed in his teens.
He successfully sued the
federal government of Washington DC in 1976 for suppressing research into
Cannabis and glaucoma. Since he won,
this case established the legal precedent for the concept of medical necessity which acknowledged the
need for patient compassion in public policy.
Many medical experts agree
that Robert Randall kept his vision only because he was brave enough to defy
doctors and consume Cannabis to lower his intraocular pressure. He was told at age 25 that he would be blind
at 30 he died with full vision at age 53.
He even became famous when in 1988 he
lit up a ‘spliff’ on Larry King Live as a testament to the role Cannabis plays
to help glaucoma sufferers who find no relief in conventional medicines.
Even with all this evidence
before us the reality is that until such time as governments begin to recognize
patient testimonies and start allowing research and human trials, until such
time as they can show the courage to remove Cannabis from the ‘dangerous and
highly addictive substance’ with ‘zero medical benefit’ list…until such
time…people will continue to suffer unnecessarily.
Be Healthy Be Happy
SOURCES:
Pretoria Eye Institute
Dr Joseph Mercola
University of California, San Francisco, UCSF
Medical Center
National Eye Institute (NEI) USA
Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, The Vitamin D, Skin,
and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine.
1971 study
“Marihuana Smoking and Intraocular
Pressure”
British Journal of Ophthalmology
Journal Current Opinion in
Ophthalmology
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
Louis
R. Pasquale, Assoc. Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical
School
Director, Glaucoma Service, Massachusetts Eye & Ear
Sunita
Radhakrishnan, MD Glaucoma Centre of San Francisco. Research Director at the
Glaucoma Research and Education Group in San Francisco.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
