Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the nerve that connects the eye to the brain, known as the optic nerve. Glaucoma can lead to irreversible vision loss over time. However, glaucoma is usually treatable, especially if it is caught in the early stages.

Most forms of glaucoma are caused by intraocular pressure (IOP), or abnormally high pressure in the back of the eye. When this pressure increases, the optic nerve can become damaged, causing vision loss over time. In addition to vision loss, symptoms of glaucoma may include tunnel vision, eye pain, nausea, and vomiting.

The most common type of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma, although there are five main types of the disease. Patients with open-angle glaucoma may present with no other signs of the disease except for vision loss. 

Glaucoma can run in families and is more common in Black people of West Indian descent.  Any type of glaucoma can lead to blindness if left untreated, and patients who believe they may have glaucoma should visit their doctor right away.

Glaucoma is often listed as a “qualifying condition” on state medical cannabis program lists.  This stems from a study in the 1970s that demonstrated that cannabis reduced IOP.  However, this and subsequent studies have also shown that the benefit only lasts about 2 hours.  This means that someone with glaucoma would have to use cannabis every one to two hours, around the clock (including waking up several times a night) to successfully manage their eye pressure. This would affect their daily life, including their sleep schedule. Failure to keep to this schedule could result in blindness.  

On the other hand, conventional medications are much more effective at managing glaucoma. Physician-prescribed eye drops can be used successfully and only require administration twice a day.  This is clearly more effective, safer, and more manageable for daily life. 

It is important to avoid CBD if you have glaucoma as CBD can actually raise intraocular pressure. This means CBD could make glaucoma worse. Please refrain from using CBD if you have glaucoma, and consult your cannabinoid specialist.

As you have read, it turns out that cannabis is not a good medicine for glaucoma compared to conventional medications.  The risk to a patient’s eyesight is just too great to use cannabis for this reason.  Further CBD is actually harmful.  

 So, for glaucoma, we should stick to conventional treatments.