Excellent basis, in the search for an effective treatment of glaucoma, the study appeared in the Journal of Glaucoma (October 2006), by researchers from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. Currently, in glaucoma (a term that summarizes a group of eye disorders) intraocular pressure is no longer considered the cause of the disease but, together with other conditions, an important risk factor. The aim of the study by the British scholars was to evaluate the effects of oral administration of a small dose of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on intraocular pressure, as well as to establish their safety and efficacy.

In the trial, a “pilot study”, only 6 patients, who presented with open angle glaucoma, with a spray used sublingually were administered 5 mg of delta-9-THC, or 20/40 mg of CBD, or a placebo. The administrations were carried out with a single dose at 8 am; after 2 hours, the people who had taken THC showed a reduction in intraocular pressure compared to placebo. Only after 4 hours did the pressure return to the high values ​​of the initial measurement. As for cannabidiol, it has not been shown to reduce intraocular pressure: at the dose of 40 mg it had, on the contrary, after 4 hours, the effect of raising it.

It should be noted that a slight panic attack occurred in one patient after the administration of THC. According to this study, a single dose of 5 mg of THC, in addition to being well tolerated, is able to temporarily reduce intraocular pressure. Cannabinoids, including THC, are also able to improve blood circulation in the retina; they are attributed neuroprotective and antioxidant actions, and could therefore become usable in the treatment of glaucoma.

Hemp, the plant from which nothing is thrown away

Those that can irreversibly damage the disease (glaucomatous damage), from various risk factors, including intraocular hypertension, are the retinal ganglion cells, essential for vision. Ophtalmic Research (2007 March) publishes an experiment by US scholars on the possible role of THC in the treatment of glaucoma. Also in the latter case, THC showed a neuroprotective effect as well as the ability to preserve the integrity of the retinal ganglion cells through the reduction of intraocular pressure. Do not forget, in the treatment of glaucoma, the usefulness of gingko biloba extract which has been shown to improve ocular blood flow, vision and intraocular pressure.