San Diego, CA: Adults with a history of frequent cannabis use are significantly less likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma, according to the findings of a case-control observational study published in the Journal of Glaucoma.
Investigators affiliated with the University of California at San Diego assessed the relationship between cannabis use and glaucoma status in a cohort of over 5,000 patients and over 20,000 controls.
They reported that marijuana use was associated with lower odds of glaucoma in a dose-dependent manner.
“Even after controlling for multiple demographic and clinical covariates, marijuana use is still inversely associated with POAG [primary open-angle glaucoma] status,” the study’s authors concluded. “The observed inverse dose-response association … suggests an underlying biological relationship may exist. … Our findings highlight the need for further investigation into the potential use of marijuana and its components as adjunctive therapies for glaucoma, which could offer novel targets for IOP [intraocular pressure] modulation and/or disease modification in POAG patients.”
Cannabis inhalation has long been known to lower intraocular pressure temporarily, and over one-third of glaucoma specialists acknowledge having patients who use cannabis to manage their condition. Nevertheless, the American Glaucoma Society does not endorse the use of cannabis as a treatment for glaucoma.
Full text of the study, “The association between marijuana use and primary open-angle glaucoma using the All of Us research program: A case-control study,” appears in the Journal of Glaucoma.