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home / 世界杯决赛2022

cannabis ‘significantly’ reduces intraocular pressure: study

researchers found that iop reduction began soon after inhalation and was decreased by as much as 16 per cent.

by sam riches

feb 11 2022
read time 2 minute read
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a new study published in the journal frontiers in medicine has found that inhaling cannabis “significantly” reduces intraocular pressure (iop) for up to four hours.

the study was conducted by an international team of researchers from the united states and italy, per the national organization for the reform of marijuana laws (norml), who assessed the association between thc plasma levels and iop.

the study participants, who were healthy adults, smoked joints containing cannabis with either six per cent or 14 per cent thc. researchers then measured iop and plasma thc levels every 30 minutes for one hour following administration and afterward every hour for four hours, comparing those measurements to baseline readings.
“the results of this study indicate that in healthy adult subjects, inhaled thc significantly lowers iop, and that this effect correlates with plasma thc levels,” the researchers wrote, adding that iop reduction began soon after inhalation and was decreased by as much as 16 per cent.
“more research is needed to determine the efficacy of thc in reducing iop for eyes with ocular hypertension and glaucoma,” investigators concluded.

glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world , results in increased iop pressure and gradual vision loss. there is no cure and the condition can affect people of any age.

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the discovery of cannabis’ effects on iop can be traced back to the early 1970s, when researchers affiliated with the university of california, los angeles (ucla) reportedly began studying the “red eye” effect of cannabis to help the u.s. drug enforcement administration bust consumers .

instead, they found that thc reduced eye pressure by 25 to 30 per cent.

research that dates back more than 50 years has shown that thc reduces intraocular pressure and nearly all state-specific medical access laws in the u.s. cite glaucoma as a qualifying medical condition, per norml. still, the federally illegal plant has not yet been endorsed by the american glaucoma society or the glaucoma research foundation as a treatment option.

other studies have found that there are some drawbacks to using cannabis to treat glaucoma, including lowered blood pressure, which could decrease blood flow to the optic nerve and counteract the benefits of reduced iop .

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