The idea that marijuana can be helpful in treating glaucoma dates to the 1970s. Studies conducted then showed that smoking marijuana lowered the IOP of people with glaucoma. As a result of this research, additional studies were conducted examining whether marijuana or its active ingredient, a compound known as THC, could be used to keep IOP lowered. This research was supported by the National Eye Institute, a division of the federal National Institutes of Health.

The research found that when marijuana is smoked or when a form of its active ingredient is taken as a pill or by injection, it does lower IOP. However, it only lowers IOP for a short period of time—about three or four hours.

This short period of time is a major drawback for the use of marijuana as a glaucoma treatment. Because glaucoma needs to be treated 24 hours a day, you would need to smoke marijuana six to eight times a day around the clock to receive the benefit of a consistently lowered IOP. Because of marijuana's mood-altering effect, smoking so much of it daily would leave you too impaired to drive, operate equipment or function at the peak of your mental ability.

The effect that marijuana has on your ability to function is not the only side effect from the drug, however. Marijuana cigarettes contain hundreds of compounds that damage the lungs. Research has shown that regular and frequent use of marijuana, particularly in high doses, can cause problems with short-term memory and concentration.

As scientists learn more about glaucoma, they have also come to understand that IOP is not the only factor that damages the optic nerve. Recent studies characterize glaucoma as a neurologic disease similar to Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. And, there is increasing evidence that reduced flow of blood to the optic nerve may also cause damage in patients with glaucoma. Unfortunately, marijuana not only lowers IOP, but it lowers blood pressure throughout the body. As a result, it has the potential to lower the blood flow to the optic nerve, effectively canceling out the benefit of a lowered IOP.

Scientists are still exploring whether the active ingredients in marijuana may yet offer a glaucoma treatment. However, such developments require much more research and are many years from becoming a reality.

So, while marijuana can temporarily lower your IOP, it's not recommended for treating glaucoma. Prescription medication and surgical treatments have been tested and proven as effective treatments for the condition. On June 27, 2014, the American Academy of Ophthalmology reiterated its position that it does not recommend marijuana or other cannabis products for the treatment of glaucoma.

Speak with your ophthalmologist to find the glaucoma treatment option that is best for you. link

The bottom line for legalization is the same as it was for alcohol. People want to get high. It’s really that simple. People can argue the medical side of things all day, but at the end of that day that is what it boils down to. Some people will want a little buzz to unwind, and some will want to get high as hell.

It should be up to individual states to determine, but a reliable test ping protocol needs to be discovered and employed to deal with excessive intoxication leading to negligence, same as alcohol and other drugs. Also, businesses should be able to prohibit its usage by its employees without fear of litigation.

Even Tennessee, in the heart of the "Bible Belt" and which still has "dry" counties, legalized medical cannabis oil recently. I'm not thrilled about fully legalized pot, but all the arguments against it also apply to alcohol, so what can you say?

If I were king, everything would be legal. All drugs. No prescription needed. Go to CVS and a 90 pack of Oxycodin 30 mg are $9.99. Buy as many as you want.

The druggies over dose and kill themselves off within weeks (net win for society), people with real pain issues can get the meds they need. I believe Florida recently changed the law and you can only get a 3 day supply now of narcotic pain killer. Which is just stupid for real chronic pain sufferers, having to get a new prescription and go to the pharmacy every 3 days.

No more killing, robbing, pimping just to get drugs. Put the drug dealers out of business and back on food stamps.

There is no argument against medical marijuana....

Recreational is a different story, but everywhere I have traveled that has recreational MJ seemed no worse for it.

Of course it's time for them to make this issue right.

Especially if they wish to retain control of the government, because the first party to nut up and do so will sail into the White House at record speed. Bank on it. These elections are won and lost by single digit percentages. It won't take many votes to swing an election and few topics cross political lines like this.

On top of which:

* the federal government has no business in the weed/liquor/tobacco prohibition business.
* Cannabis never should have been criminalized in the first place.
* the twisting of the Commerce Clause was an absolute travesty of constitutional law.
* every marijuana charge in history was a sham that never should have happened, and having to face this truth is part of the problem we're having to live with nowadays. It's an elephant in the room, entire departments and careers have been made on this sham, lives lost, liberties stolen, countless millions stolen by the government, and countless lives ruined by laws based on nonsense, racism, lies and vile intentions such as oppression.

It's so shameful, ultimately. History will no doubt look back upon these decades like we look upon those islanders in India, ignorant and savage, at least about topics like this.

Whatever, though, it's here to stay, never went away anyway - perhaps the most ineffectual effort in human history if curbing use and popularity was a goal (a spectacular failure) or perhaps the most successful endeavor in history if the goal is to rob, jail, kill, and otherwise fuck over thousands upon thousands of people over the years. but hey - it's heading in the right direction more and more as every day passes.

It's simply a matter of time, now. One year, five, ten, the day is coming for a national fix.