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To: ApesForEvolution; MrLeRoy
"Regarding glaucoma, what, if any, 'relief' does 'medicinal' marijuana bring to inner eye pressure and the damage that results from it?"

THC, the active ingredient in MJ, is a vaso-dialator. In other words, it expands and relaxes blood vessels and tissues. This effect is what causes the munchies, the blood vessels in the stomach expand causing a "hungry" feeling.

This same vessel expanding effect also works on the blood vessels in the eye. By expanding the volume of the eye vessels, interoccular fluid pressure is lowered.

110 posted on 01/06/2003 3:44:48 PM PST by Vigilantcitizen
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To: viligantcitizen
"THC, the active ingredient in MJ, is a vaso-dialator. In other words, it expands and relaxes blood vessels and tissues. This effect is what causes the munchies, the blood vessels in the stomach expand causing a "hungry" feeling.

This same vessel expanding effect also works on the blood vessels in the eye. By expanding the volume of the eye vessels, interoccular fluid pressure is lowered."

Thanks, I wasn't aware of this and have been reading various studies and other commentaries all afternoon.

I might be coming to the thinking that being intoxicated to be intoxicated is wrong; legal and illegal drugs intoxicate (perc., vike, etc.) but it's ok because they're prescribed by a practitioner and serve a purpose in pain/disease management. Illegal drugs made legal for the same purpose, with no evil intent, maybe can serve the same purpose? What I find hilarious are those that drink alcohol to relax or enjoy a good meal and say because it's legal are somehow better than those that smoke a little weed now and then for the same reasons!

I don't do either, but I'd personally, from my own experiences, have someone behind the wheel driving slow and cautious on a couple hits than someone out of control on booze.

114 posted on 01/06/2003 3:53:32 PM PST by ApesForEvolution
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To: ApesForEvolution; MrLeRoy
After reading my previous post, one thing I left off was: MJ is only effective as a short term tool to lower occular fluid pressure. For example, if someone had injury induced glaucoma and needed to lower pressure quickly so that laser procedures could be done.

As a long term hereditary glaucoma treatment, MJ isn't as effective as drops.

119 posted on 01/06/2003 3:57:32 PM PST by Vigilantcitizen
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