CAN CANNABIS CURE GLAUCOMA?

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:

1. Cannabinoids reduce the concentration of chloride ions inside the retinal ganglion cells making them more excitable and more sensitive to light.
2. Cannabinoids significantly reduce intraocular pressure by up to between 25% and 30% and often more.
3. Cannabinoids have neuro-protective properties.
4. Cannabinoids have antioxidant properties allowing them to prevent neuronal death of retinal ganglion cells which is the main cause of glaucoma.
5. Cannanbinoids have vaso-relaxant properties and are able to increase ocular blood flow.
6. Cannabinoids maintain homeostasis (balance) in the body at cellular level.
7. Cannabis has far fewer side effects than pharmaceutical drugs.
8. Cannabis regulates metabolic processes and plays a big role in the command over diabetes.
9. Cannabis stimulates the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin D
10. 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:

www.xhosastyles.blogspot.com

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)