QUESTION: Can you share how you use cannabinoids for glaucoma in practice?
ANSWER: I use cannabinoids a lot with cancer and AI patients. The paper below lists a synthetic but when one looks at the structure it is between CBD and THC so a blend or cyclic dosing strategy may be best. A number of theories and dosing strategies exist for Glaucoma and Cannabinoids – and most American data is muddied by the American fear of publishing data on dosing cannabis.
I would use a tincture or oil extract and two forms ideally: one higher CBD during the day for more daytime clarity and a higher THC variety in the PM. I like using tincture or oil as you can titrate the dose pretty easily. If there is a congenital nature to the glaucoma, the dose may need to be higher, ultimately.
The data is there for good effect: “Cannabinoid receptors have shown an intense expression in ocular tissues implicated in the regulation of the intraocular pressure, as well as inner layers of the retina. Through activation of CB1 and CB1 specific receptors and through other still unknown pathways, the cannabinoid agonists have shown both a clear hypotensive, as well as an experimentally proved neuroprotective effect on retinal ganglion cells.”
Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol. 2011 Jan;86(1):16-23. doi: 10.1016/j.oftal.2010.11.015. Epub 2011 Feb 24.
(Anyone wonder why the DEA doesn’t like me?)