Medical Marijuana For Glaucoma Patients In Missouri

Does Glaucoma Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Missouri?

Glaucoma is more common than most people think. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, 3 million Americans are currently living with glaucoma, yet only 50% of these individuals are aware of the fact that they have this condition. The prevalence of glaucoma in the State of Missouri is slightly higher than the national average, with just over 53,000 residents having the condition.  

 

Under Missouri's medical marijuana program, glaucoma has been officially approved as a qualifying condition. This is really great news, as evidence has shown that medical marijuana has tremendous potential to offer much-needed relief to individuals living with this condition. 

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How Medical Marijuana Helps Treat Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve becomes damaged in one way or another, often resulting in partial or total blindness.  The optic nerve damage that takes place is usually due to intraocular pressure. Medical marijuana has been demonstrated to effectively reduce intraocular pressure and was thereby deemed an effective treatment to alleviate the symptoms associated with glaucoma.

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Currently, the only way to control glaucoma and prevent vision loss is to lower your IOP levels. Your ophthalmologist can treat glaucoma with medication, such as prescription eye drops, or surgery, depending on the type of glaucoma and how severe it is.

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How Effective Is Marijuana At Treating Glaucoma?

While marijuana is effective at reducing intraocular pressure, it only does so for a short period of time, roughly 4 hours. With that in mind, it would be difficult for patients to stay medicated 24-hours a day, although not impossible!  There are new medical marijuana products that can provide all of the medicinal benefits of the drug, without having to get “high”. These new products make extensive use of the compound found in marijuana known as CBD, which isn’t psychoactive. Without the “high” medical marijuana can be used throughout the day without interfering with your normal daily activities.

 

Even though the effects of a single-dose may be short-lived, this does not delegitimize marijuana’s effectiveness at improving quality of life for patients with glaucoma. In addition to providing a nearly instant reduction in intra-ocular pressure, medical marijuana can provide relief from other symptoms of the disease, including:

1. Nausea

2. Pain

3. Headaches