Glaucoma is a painful medical condition that affects the optic nerve. Glaucoma occurs when intraocular pressure – increased pressure in the eye caused by a buildup of fluid – irritates and damages to the optic nerve. This buildup of fluid is usually caused by a blockage in the mesh-like channel that the naturally occurring fluid, known as aqueous humor, flows out through.
Glaucoma is a painful condition and can sometimes lead to sight loss and even blindness. So can MMJ treat glaucoma? And if so, exactly how does medical marijuana help glaucoma? Put simply, glaucoma patients can use medical cannabis to lower intraocular pressure. This reduction in IOP greatly reduces the painful symptoms of glaucoma.
If you’ve been wondering “Can a medical marijuana recommendation help glaucoma?”, read on for all you need to know.
Image by analogicus on Pixabay: Many older glaucoma patients use medical cannabis.
Does Glaucoma Count As A Qualifying Condition For A Medical Marijuana Recommendation?
In the vast majority of legal MMJ states, glaucoma counts as a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana recommendation. Glaucoma was one of the first medical conditions that health care professionals realized could benefit a lot from treatment with MMJ.
What Are The Symptoms of Glaucoma?
The symptoms of glaucoma include eye pain, nausea, headache, blurred vision, sight loss, visual disturbance, and reddening of the eye. Glaucoma patients and medical cannabis can go hand in hand, with MMJ helping to alleviate the painful symptoms of the condition when used correctly.
Who Usually Suffers From Glaucoma?
Before we answer the question “Can MMJ treat glaucoma?”, here is a list of people who are most likely to suffer from the condition:
- People over 40
- People with a family history of glaucoma
- People of African, Irish, Japanese, Russian, Hispanic, Innuit, or Scandinavian heritage
- People with diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure
- People with high eye pressure, or who have suffered an injury to the eye
How Does Medical Marijuana Help Glaucoma?
A medical marijuana recommendation can help treat glaucoma because MMJ lowers intraocular pressure. Cannabinoid receptors are myriad in ocular tissue and they play a large role in pressure reduction. Because intraocular pressure causes the painful symptoms as well as long-term eye damage associated with glaucoma, lowering IOP by ingesting medical marijuana helps glaucoma patients to feel more comfortable and to stave off long-term sight loss.
What Are The Limitations Of Medical Marijuana As A Treatment For Glaucoma?
MMJ cannot cure glaucoma; it can only alleviate the symptoms of the condition. Some doctors are reluctant to prescribe MMJ for glaucoma because they believe the health risks involved in smoking outweigh the benefits of symptom reduction for glaucoma sufferers. This can be mitigated by ingesting medical marijuana in other ways, such as through vaping or edibles.
Another limitation when treating glaucoma with medical marijuana is that the intraocular pressure-lowering effect of MMJ only lasts for about four hours, so MMJ needs to be ingested regularly throughout the day and night to maintain the positive IOP-reducing effects.
Which Medical Marijuana Strains Are Best For Treating Glaucoma?
Glaucoma patients consistently rate certain medical cannabis strains as being most effective for treating their condition. These strains are:
- Sour Diesel
- Tesla Tower
- Sour Grape
- Bubba Kush
- Girl Scout Cookies
- Blue Dream
All of these strains have robust pain-killing properties and are also effective at reducing intraocular pressure.
Image by 7raysmarketing on Pixabay: Can MMJ treat glaucoma? Research indicates that it can definitely help!
How Can I Get Medical Marijuana For Glaucoma?
You can get MMJ to treat your glaucoma by first getting a medical marijuana card. Once you have an MMJ card for glaucoma, you can then purchase MMJ products from your local dispensaries, or depending on what state you live in, you can cultivate your MMJ for glaucoma at home.
Where Can You Get Further Information About Medical Marijuana And Glaucoma?
If you want to learn more about how a medical marijuana recommendation helps glaucoma, it is best to go to your local dispensary and ask the staff. In 2020, MMJ dispensaries not only dispense MMJ products, but also knowledge and education. The MMJ market is now super-competitive and dispensaries try to set themselves apart by offering the best service possible. A big part of this is providing cutting-edge information and education to their customers, so take advantage of this!
What Medical Marijuana Dosage Is Best For Treating Glaucoma?
There are many ways to ingest medical marijuana for glaucoma. As mentioned earlier, the intraocular pressure-reducing effect of MMJ only lasts for about four hours, so it is necessary to ingest MMJ regularly to get a constant effect. Glaucoma patients often choose to use medical cannabis by vaping or in the form of edibles, to avoid the health risks associated with smoking.
How Can You Get A Medical Marijuana Card For Glaucoma?
The best way to get an MMJ card for glaucoma is to have an online consultation with a medical professional through MMJRecs. This can be done quickly, from the comfort of your own home. Once the consultation is complete, the medical professional will recommend a medical marijuana card for glaucoma, and this will enable you to begin treatment with MMJ.
Featured image by Skitterphoto on Pixabay