Does Marijuana Help in Treating Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is the disease involving optic nerve which carries visual information from
our eyes to the brain. Damage to this nerve can cause permanent vision loss and blindness.
Lowering eye pressure is the most suitable course of action to reduce the risk of glaucoma.
While there are treatment options available for glaucoma, including laser treatment, eye drop
medication, and surgery, few individuals will not find such treatments sufficient.

One of the most discussed alternative treatments of the glaucoma is smoking marijuana.
Smoking marijuana can reduce eye pressure in an individual. One should note that marijuana can
only lower the eye pressure for 3-4 hours; to keep the pressure maintained, one will need to
smoke the marijuana 6-8 times a day! Along with lowering the eye pressure, marijuana also
lowers the blood pressure. Lower blood pressure can reduce the blood supply of the optic nerve,
which can permanently damage the optic nerve. Therefore marijuana cannot be recommended
for the long term.