Marijuana and Glaucoma

January 18, 2022

3 min read

January 2022 is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. In doing so, experts have taken a stand to provide people with awareness of the serious effects glaucoma can have on a person’s life, the importance of routine eye exams to monitor for any abnormalities, to help those suffering better understand the treatment options available to them, as well as helping many Americans to understand if they are at a greater risk of developing this disease.

With that in mind, there have been discussions about marijuana and glaucoma, and whether it’s a viable glaucoma treatment option.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a life-altering disease that results in damage to the optic nerve, often caused by high intraocular pressure. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain, allowing a person to view images. With glaucoma being the leading cause of blindness, more than 60 million people worldwide are living with glaucoma - 3 million being in the United States alone.

There are no symptoms associated with glaucoma before vision disturbances or total vision loss, making routine eye exams more important than ever.

Who is at risk of glaucoma?

Affecting millions worldwide, anyone can develop glaucoma regardless of age, race, or gender. However, certain risk factors increase the risk of a person experiencing this life-changing disease process including:

Being Hispanic or Latino
Aged 60 years or older
Being African American, especially aged 40 years or older
A family history of glaucoma

Medical marijuana for glaucoma treatment

There are many prescription oral medications, eye drops, and even creams designed to treat the symptoms of increased intraocular pressure in a person living with glaucoma. While glaucoma cannot be cured, treatment focuses on slowing the disease progression and reducing the risk of permanent, irreversible blindness.

Although prescription medications have proven successful in slowing the progression of glaucoma, many believe the use of medicinal marijuana, whether inhaled, taken orally, or infused intravenously, has been successful in treating glaucoma.

Marijuana has been proven to reduce intraocular pressure, the key factor in contributing to glaucoma. While glaucoma is one of the most frequently used reasons for receiving a license to use medicinal marijuana, this treatment only lowers intraocular pressure for a short time, which makes it an impractical treatment method. In addition, there isn’t clear evidence that it reduces the progression of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a condition that must be treated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, therefore marijuana use, unless used multiple times per day, is less than ideal in slowing the progression of glaucoma.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation does not recommend marijuana as a medical treatment for glaucoma. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society agree, and also do not recommend marijuana as a glaucoma treatment method.

Can marijuana damage the optic nerve?

The optic nerve is vital in providing the communication pathway between your brain and eyes, allowing you to see what is around you. The bundle of nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve relies on an adequate blood supply to maintain proper function. Therefore, when the blood supply is disrupted, the optic nerve is at risk of experiencing damage.

A healthy blood pressure allows optimal blood flow to all areas throughout the body, including the optic nerve. Health officials report that marijuana has been shown to lower the blood pressure of those using this recreational drug, thereby lowering the blood supply flowing to the optic nerve, leaving it susceptible to damage.

Traditional treatment for glaucoma

Treatment for glaucoma is possible. However, blindness from glaucoma is irreversible. Treatment by a medical professional focuses on minimizing and slowing the disease process to slow the inevitable blindness.

Treatment for glaucoma is performed through many different forms, including:

Prescription eye drops to decrease intraocular pressure.
Oral medications to reduce intraocular pressure to the level desired by your licensed physician.
Surgery to allow for better fluid draining and reduce eye pressure.

For additional information about glaucoma, visit the American Glaucoma Society and Glaucoma Research Foundation. And, if you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma and are looking for support or wanting to talk about your glaucoma treatment, share your story and connect with other Healthread app readers.