humulene and Glaucoma

Cannabis (

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Analgesics; Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson Disease; Proteome; Proteomics; Schizophrenia

The purpose of this article is to review the current status of cannabis in the treatment of glaucoma, including the greater availability of marijuana in the USA.. The potency of marijuana, as measured by the concentration of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol, has increased from ∼2 to 3% in the 1970s to ∼20% today. Many US states have passed laws allowing either medicinal or recreational use of marijuana.. The pharmacology of marijuana and its effect on intraocular pressure has not changed since the research in the 1970s and 1980s. Marijuana is an effective ocular hypotensive agent. However, cardiovascular and neurological effects are observed at the same dose, and may theoretically reduce the beneficial effect of lowering intraocular pressure by reducing ocular blood flow. The clinician must be cognizant of this potential in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

Topics: Antihypertensive Agents; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Tonometry, Ocular

The present investigation aimed to provide an objective narrative review of the existing literature pertaining to the benefits and harms of marijuana use for the treatment of the most common medical and psychological conditions for which it has been allowed at the state level. Common medical conditions for which marijuana is allowed (i.e., those conditions shared by at least 80 percent of medical marijuana states) were identified as: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cachexia/wasting syndrome, cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy and seizures, glaucoma, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasticity, severe and chronic pain, and severe nausea. Post-traumatic stress disorder was also included in the review, as it is the sole psychological disorder for which medical marijuana has been allowed. Studies for this narrative review were included based on a literature search in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. Findings indicate that, for the majority of these conditions, there is insufficient evidence to support the recommendation of medical marijuana at this time. A significant amount of rigorous research is needed to definitively ascertain the potential implications of marijuana for these conditions. It is important for such work to not only examine the effects of smoked marijuana preparations, but also to compare its safety, tolerability, and efficacy in relation to existing pharmacological treatments.

Topics: Cachexia; Cannabis; Central Nervous System Diseases; Chronic Disease; Crohn Disease; Glaucoma; HIV Infections; Humans; Medical Marijuana; Mental Disorders; Neoplasms

Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve and compromises the visual field. The main risk factor of the disease is the level of the intra-ocular pressure. Therapeutic options include medical and surgical treatment, aimed to lower the intra-ocular pressure. Consumption of the cannabis plant (Cannabis Satival has been known since ancient times. It can be consumed orally, topically, intra-venous or by inhalation. The main active ingredient of cannabis is THC (Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol). One of THC's reported effects is the reduction of intra-ocular pressure. Several studies have demonstrated temporary intra-ocular pressure decrease in both healthy subjects and glaucoma patients following topical application or systemic consumption. The effect was a short term one. It was followed by the development of resistance to the drug after prolonged intake and it was also accompanied by topical and systemic side effects. Cannabis may be considered as a therapeutic option in glaucoma. Its limited effect, development of resistance, acquired side effects and the accompanying psycho-active influence limit its advantage and cause its efficacy to be dubious. Therefore, cannabis treatment for glaucoma currently seems impractical and is not recommended by either the Israeli or the American glaucoma societies.

Topics: Cannabis; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Optic Nerve; Visual Fields

Cannabis has been known as a medicine for several thousand years across many cultures. It reached a position of prominence within Western medicine in the nineteenth century but became mired in disrepute and legal controls early in the twentieth century. Despite unremitting world-wide suppression, recreational cannabis exploded into popular culture in the 1960s and has remained easily obtainable on the black market in most countries ever since. This ready availability has allowed many thousands of patients to rediscover the apparent power of the drug to alleviate symptoms of some of the most cruel and refractory diseases known to humankind. Pioneering clinical research in the last quarter of the twentieth century has given some support to these anecdotal reports, but the methodological challenges to human research involving a pariah drug are formidable. Studies have tended to be small, imperfectly controlled, and have often incorporated unsatisfactory synthetic cannabinoid analogues or smoked herbal material of uncertain composition and irregular bioavailability. As a result, the scientific evaluation of medicinal cannabis in humans is still in its infancy. New possibilities in human research have been opened up by the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, a rapidly expanding knowledge of cannabinoid pharmacology, and a more sympathetic political environment in several countries. More and more scientists and clinicians are becoming interested in exploring the potential of cannabis-based medicines. Future targets will extend beyond symptom relief into disease modification, and already cannabinoids seem to offer particular promise in the treatment of certain inflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions. This chapter will begin with an outline of the development and current status of legal controls pertaining to cannabis, following which the existing human research will be reviewed. Some key safety issues will then be considered, and the chapter will conclude with some suggestions as to future directions for human research.

Topics: Appetite; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Cognition; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; Humans; Marijuana Abuse; Multiple Sclerosis; Nausea; Neoplasms; Neuroprotective Agents; Pain; Phytotherapy; Spinal Cord Injuries; Vomiting

Cannabis has a potential for clinical use often obscured by unreliable and purely anecdotal reports. The most important natural cannabinoid is the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC); others include cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG). Not all the observed effects can be ascribed to THC, and the other constituents may also modulate its action; for example CBD reduces anxiety induced by THC. A standardised extract of the herb may be therefore be more beneficial in practice and clinical trial protocols have been drawn up to assess this. The mechanism of action is still not fully understood, although cannabinoid receptors have been cloned and natural ligands identified. Cannabis is frequently used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) for muscle spasm and pain, and in an experimental model of MS low doses of cannabinoids alleviated tremor. Most of the controlled studies have been carried out with THC rather than cannabis herb and so do not mimic the usual clincal situation. Small clinical studies have confirmed the usefulness of THC as an analgesic; CBD and CBG also have analgesic and antiinflammatory effects, indicating that there is scope for developing drugs which do not have the psychoactive properties of THC. Patients taking the synthetic derivative nabilone for neurogenic pain actually preferred cannabis herb and reported that it relieved not only pain but the associated depression and anxiety. Cannabinoids are effective in chemotherapy-induced emesis and nabilone has been licensed for this use for several years. Currently, the synthetic cannabinoid HU211 is undergoing trials as a protective agent after brain trauma. Anecdotal reports of cannabis use include case studies in migraine and Tourette's syndrome, and as a treatment for asthma and glaucoma. Apart from the smoking aspect, the safety profile of cannabis is fairly good. However, adverse reactions include panic or anxiety attacks, which are worse in the elderly and in women, and less likely in children. Although psychosis has been cited as a consequence of cannabis use, an examination of psychiatric hospital admissions found no evidence of this, however, it may exacerbate existing symptoms. The relatively slow elimination from the body of the cannabinoids has safety implications for cognitive tasks, especially driving and operating machinery; although driving impairment with cannabis is only moderate, there is a significant interaction with alcohol. Natural materials are highly

Topics: Animals; Asthma; Blood Pressure; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Nervous System Diseases; Placebo Effect

Although many clinical studies suggest the medical utility of marijuana for some conditions, the scientific evidence is weak. Many patients in California are self-medicating with marijuana, and physicians need data to assess the risks and benefits. The only reasonable solution to this problem is to encourage research on the medical effects of marijuana. The current regulatory system should be modified to remove barriers to clinical research with marijuana. The NIH panel has identified several conditions for which there may be therapeutic benefit from marijuana use and that merit further research. Marijuana should be held to the same evaluation standards of safety and efficacy as other drugs (a major flaw in Proposition 215) but should not have to be proved better than current medications for its use to be adopted. The therapeutic window for marijuana and THC between desired effect and unpleasant side effects is narrow and is a major reason for discontinuing use. Although the inhaled route of administration has the benefit of allowing patients to self-titrate the dose, the smoking of crude plant material is problematic. The NIH panel recommended that a high priority be given to the development of a controlled inhaled form of THC. The presence of a naturally occurring cannabinoid-receptor system in the brain suggests that research on selective analogues of THC may be useful to enhance its therapeutic effects and minimize adverse effects.

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cachexia; California; Cannabis; Drug Approval; Glaucoma; Humans; Muscle Spasticity; Nausea; Phytotherapy; Self Medication; Vomiting

Topics: Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Marijuana Abuse; Marijuana Smoking; Nausea; Phytotherapy; Plant Preparations

The use of crude marijuana for herbal medicinal applications is now being widely discussed in both the medical and lay literature. Ballot initiatives in California and Arizona have recently made crude marijuana accessible to patients under certain circumstances. As medicinal applications of pure forms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and crude marijuana are being considered, the most promising uses of any form of THC are to counteract the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and to stimulate appetite. We evaluated the relevant research published between 1975 and 1996 on the medical applications, physical complications, and legal precedents for the use of pure THC or crude marijuana. Our review focused on the medical use of THC derivatives for nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy, glaucoma, stimulation of appetite, and spinal cord spasticity. Despite the toxicity of THC delivered in any form, evidence supports the selective use of pure THC preparations to treat nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and to stimulate appetite. The evidence does not support the reclassification of crude marijuana as a prescribable medicine.

Topics: Appetite Stimulants; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Muscle Spasticity; Nausea; Neoplasms

Marijuana seems firmly established as another social drug in Western countries, regardless of its current legal status. Patterns of use vary widely. As with other social drugs, the pattern of use is critical in determining adverse effects on health. Perhaps the major area of concern about marijuana use is among the very young. Using any drug on a regular basis that alters reality may be detrimental to the psychosocial maturation of young persons. Chronic use of marijuana may stunt the emotional growth of youngsters. Evidence for an amotivational syndrome is largely based on clinical reports; whether marijuana use is a cause or effect is uncertain. A marijuana psychosis, long rumored, has been difficult to prove. No one doubts that marijuana use may aggravate existing psychoses or other severe emotional disorders. Brain damage has not been proved. Physical dependence is rarely encountered in the usual patterns of social use, despite some degree of tolerance that may develop. The endocrine effects of the drug might be expected to delay puberty in prepubertal boys, but actual instances have been rare. As with any material that is smoked, chronic smoking of marijuana will produce bronchitis; emphysema or lung cancer have not yet been documented. Cardiovascular effects of the drug are harmful to those with preexisting heart disease; fortunately the number of users with such conditions is minimal. Fears that the drug might accumulate in the body to the point of toxicity have been groundless. The potential deleterious effects of marijuana use on driving ability seem to be self-evident; proof of such impairment has been more difficult. The drug is probably harmful when taken during pregnancy, but the risk is uncertain. One would be prudent to avoid marijuana during pregnancy, just as one would do with most other drugs not essential to life or well-being. No clinical consequences have been noted from the effects of the drug on immune response, chromosomes, or cell metabolites. Contamination of marijuana by spraying with defoliants has created the clearest danger to health; such attempts to control production should be abandoned. Therapeutic uses for marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid homologs are being actively explored. Only the synthetic homolog, nabilone, has been approved for use to control nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Antiemetics; Asthma; Automobile Driving; Cannabis; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chromosome Aberrations; Drug Contamination; Drug Tolerance; Endocrine Glands; Eye Diseases; Female; Fetus; Glaucoma; Humans; Immunity; Lung Diseases; Mental Disorders; Pregnancy; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Topics: Analgesics; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anticonvulsants; Antidepressive Agents; Antiemetics; Appetite; Asthma; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives

Topics: Animals; Cannabis; Carbachol; Cytochalasin B; Epinephrine; Eye; Eye Diseases; Glaucoma; Humans; Idoxuridine; Interferons; Intraocular Pressure; Keratitis; Membranes, Artificial; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Timolol; Trifluridine; Vidarabine; Virus Diseases

Topics: Animals; Asthma; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; Humans; Nausea; Neoplasms; Pain

Recent work aimed at the introduction of natural and synthetic cannabinoids as drugs is reviewed. Delta1-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta1-THC) is mainly investigated as a potential drug against glaucoma and asthma, and as an antiemetic agent in cancer chemotherapy. Cannabidiol is being tried in the clinic against epilepsy and as a hypnotic. Numerous synthetic cannabinoids are currently being investigated as analgetics and as sedative-relaxants.

Topics: Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiemetics; Asthma; Cannabidiol; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; History, Modern 1601-; Humans; Hypertension; Medicine, Arabic; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Phytotherapy; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Structure-Activity Relationship

Recent advances in development of immunoassay methods for marijuana constituents in body fluids provide a rapid means of detection for forensic purposes and a useful research tool for accurate quantitation of dose-response relation. Therapeutic possibilities of cannabis, such as reduction in intraocular pressure and bronchodilatation, may stimulate development of synthetic cannabinoid derivatives that meet acceptable standards of safety and effiicacy for treatment of glaucoma and asthma. Cannabis use may have harmful short- and long-term impacts on health. Potentially serious short-term effects include predisposition to angina during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease. Even in healthy subjects, marijuana smoking decreases peak exercise performance, possibly because of its chronotropic effect with achievement of maximum heart rate at reduced work loads. Although no conclusive evidence exists for long-term biologic consequences of chronic cannabis use, preliminary evidence, suggesting impairment in pulmonary function and immune responses, requires further investigation with large-scale epidemiologic studies.

Topics: Animals; Cannabinol; Cannabis; Cardiac Output; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Dronabinol; Eye; Glaucoma; Heart; Heart Rate; Humans; Lung; Lymphocytes; Physical Exertion; Phytohemagglutinins; Plant Lectins; Sports Medicine; Time Factors; Vasomotor System

Drugs derived from Cannabis sativa (Cannabinceae) were used until the 1940's for their stimulant and depressant effects for treating somatic and psychiatric illnesses. Renewed interest in marihuana research began in the 1970's and again pointed to the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids. Safer and more useful therapeutic agents may be generated from cannabinoids similarly to morphine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and cocaine which have structurally related analgesics, oxytoxics, and local anesthetics respectively. It has been shown that the C-ring in cannabinoids can be substituted with a variety of nitrogen and sulfur-containing rings without loss of CNS (central nervous system) activity. Cannabinoids have been shown to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, intensify pressor effects of endogenous amines like norepinephrine, and enhance the stimulant effects of amphetamine. Cannabinoids' therapeutic potential lies in the areas of analgesics and anticonvulsants, and for use as a sedative-hypnotic, an antiglaucoma agent, an antiasthmatic agent, an antidiarrheal agent, and possibly as an anticancer and immunosuppressant agent.

Topics: Anesthetics; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Anticonvulsants; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Appetite Depressants; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Cyclic AMP; Digestive System; Drug Synergism; Female; Fertility; Glaucoma; Hemodynamics; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Male; Narcotic Antagonists; Neurotransmitter Agents; Prostaglandins; Sleep; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tranquilizing Agents

Topics: Airway Resistance; Alcoholism; Animals; Asthma; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Depression; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Neoplasms, Experimental; Pain; Preanesthetic Medication; Seizures; Sleep

The search for new ocular hypotensive agents represents a frontier of current eye research because blindness due to optic neuropathy occurs insidiously in 10% of all patients affected by glaucoma. Cannabinoids have been proposed to lower intraocular pressure by either central or peripheral effects but a specific mechanism for this action has never been elucidated. We recently demonstrated the presence of the central cannabinoid receptor (CB(1)) mRNA and protein in the human ciliary body. In the present study we show that the synthetic CB(1) receptor agonist, WIN 55212--2, applied topically at doses of 25 or 50 microg (n = 8), decreases the intraocular pressure of human glaucoma resistant to conventional therapies within the first 30 min (15 +/- 0.5% and 23 +/- 0.9%, respectively). A maximal reduction of 20 +/- 0.7% and 31 +/- 0.6%, respectively, is reached in the first 60 min. These data confirm that CB(1) receptors have direct involvement in the regulation of human intraocular pressure, and suggest that, among various classes of promising antiglaucoma agents, synthetic CB(1) receptor agonists should deserve further research and clinical development.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Benzoxazines; Calcium Channel Blockers; Cannabis; Ciliary Body; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Middle Aged; Morpholines; Naphthalenes; Receptors, Cannabinoid; Receptors, Drug

Topics: Animals; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Public Health; Rabbits; Tennessee; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

Marihuana inhalation was accompanied by increased heart rate and decreased intraocular and blood pressure in 18 subjects with heterogenous glaucomas. The hypotensive effects appeared in 60 to 90 minutes as the decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) appeared to follow the decrease in blood pressure. In addition to any local effect, the mechanism of lowered to any local effect, the mechanism of lowered IOP may also involve the decreased pressure perfusing the ciliary body vasculature as a result of the peripheral vasodilatory properties of marihuana. Postural hypotension, tachycardia, palpitations, and alterations in mental status occurred with such frequency as to mitigate against the routine used in the general glaucoma population. Our data indicate that further research should be directed to local means of delivering the ocular hypotensive cannabinoid to the glaucomatous eye.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Blood Pressure; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Depression, Chemical; Female; Glaucoma; Heart Rate; Humans; Hypotension, Orthostatic; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Middle Aged

Normal pressure within the human eye was reduced after smoking a socially relevant dose of marijuana (12 mg. delta9-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), but only for light to moderate users who experienced a substantial "high" and a state of peaceful relaxation from the experimental dose. Analysis suggests an indirect effect of the drug associated with relaxation-a psychophysiologic state that can be produced by drug and nondrug means.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cannabis; Chlordiazepoxide; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dronabinol; Ethanol; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Phytotherapy; Placebos; Psychophysiology; Relaxation; Substance-Related Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Tonometry, Ocular

The use of marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma has been widely debated amongst ophthalmologists and glaucoma specialists. Recent evidence suggests the majority of ophthalmologists do not support the use of marijuana as active treatment for glaucoma. However, there has been no investigation into understanding the public's direct perception of the efficacy of marijuana in glaucoma treatment. By using Twitter as a tool to understand the public's thoughts, tweets were analyzed over the last 2 years. Of the 700 tweets analyzed, 72% (n=503) of tweets were in favor of cannabis use in the treatment of glaucoma, whereas 18% (n=124) were evidently opposed. The majority of those in favor came from accounts of individual users (n=391; 56%) whereas those that opposed marijuana as a treatment came from accounts of health care media, ophthalmologists, and other health care workers. The discrepancy between the public and ophthalmologists and other health care professionals requires recognition and further action to better educate the public on the role of marijuana in glaucoma treatment.

Topics: Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Marijuana Use; Public Opinion; Social Media

Topics: Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Medical Marijuana; Phytotherapy

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Various randomized controlled clinical trials have shown that lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) does reduce progression of primary open-angle glaucoma. However, there is lots of interest in nonpharmacological options that includes lifestyle adjustment and alternative and complementary therapy (ACT). At least 5% glaucoma population uses ACT. Various lifestyle activities like exercise and alcohol can reduce IOP by 1 to 2 mm Hg but would have small effect on glaucoma. The psychological stress can increase IOP. Hypothetically and few studies do show neuroprotective effect (or effect on ocular blood flow) of alcohol, Gingko biloba, bilberry, but the current evidence is weak for its routine use. We must also remember the side effects of 'medications' (e.g., marijuana, alcohol) before promoting as remedy for glaucoma. In current armamentarium of glaucoma management, ACT cannot substitute the conventional treatment available to lower IOP.

Topics: Alcoholic Beverages; Antioxidants; Cannabis; Complementary Therapies; Diet; Ginkgo biloba; Glaucoma; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Life Style; Neuroprotective Agents; Vaccinium myrtillus

Topics: Aqueous Humor; Cannabis; Female; Fluorophotometry; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Middle Aged; Phytotherapy; Plant Preparations

Health Canada finally produces a good marijuana crop, but its medical marijuana program is in a state of upheaval as it faces internal dissent regarding a crucial aspect of its mandate, as well as fundamental challenges from the courts. Meanwhile, the Justice Minister said that the government will introduce legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Topics: Canada; Cannabis; Chronic Disease; Glaucoma; HIV Infections; Humans; Pain; Phytotherapy

Topics: Cannabis; Glaucoma; HIV Infections; Humans; Jurisprudence; Multiple Sclerosis; Phytotherapy; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Supreme Court Decisions; United States

Topics: Analgesics; Antiemetics; Appetite Stimulants; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Phytotherapy

Significant attention has been given to the debate regarding allowances for medical marijuana use since the 1996 California and Arizona ballot initiatives. State medical marijuana allowances, however, have existed since the mid-1970s. Much of the current debate stems from confusion about the various ways states approach the issue. In this paper, we present original legal research on current state medical marijuana laws identifying four different ways states statutorily enable the medical use of marijuana. We discuss the tension these approaches have with federal law as well as their implications regarding real access for patients. In addition, we present information on how a small number of states are trying to deal with the issue of access within the context of their medical marijuana laws, and discuss the implication of various supply approaches on the enforcement of other state marijuana laws.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; California; Cannabis; Drug and Narcotic Control; Drug Prescriptions; Federal Government; Glaucoma; Humans; Legislation, Medical; Neoplasms; Pain; Palliative Care; State Government; Therapeutic Human Experimentation; United States

The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in April regarding a glaucoma patient's request for a medical exception to the State prohibition on use of marijuana. [Name removed] was convicted on possession and cultivation charges, and a trial judge refused to allow a medical necessity defense. A State appeals court subsequently overturned [name removed]'s conviction. The case focuses on whether the legislature intended to prohibit such a defense when it declared in 1993 that the substance had no medicinal benefits.

Topics: Cannabis; Florida; Glaucoma; Health Policy; Humans

In 1998, Washington State passed a law, Initiative 692 (I-692), that gives individuals who are charged with possession of marijuana for medical purposes a possible affirmative defense. The law lets these individuals provide a note from their doctor or a copy of their medical records stating they have a condition that may benefit from the use of marijuana. I-692 does not legalize the medical use of marijuana and does not affect Federal law, which makes obtaining, possessing, and growing marijuana illegal. The Washington law limits the amount of marijuana a patient can possess to a 60-day supply and defines the conditions for which medical marijuana may be used. These conditions include HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.

Topics: Cannabis; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; HIV Infections; Humans; Legislation, Drug; Multiple Sclerosis; Muscle Spasticity; Neoplasms; Pain, Intractable; United States

We used RT-PCR to measure relative differences in cannabinoid receptor (CB) mRNAs in the rat eye, comparing CB1 or CB2 transcripts to that of the normalizing reference gene beta2 microglobulin (beta2m). Significantly higher levels of CB1 mRNA levels were found in the ciliary body (0.84+/-0.05% of beta2m) than in the iris, (0.34+/-0.04% of beta2m), retina (0.07+/-0.005% of beta2m) and choroid (0.06+/-0.005% of beta2m). CB2 mRNA was undetectable. This expression pattern supports a specific role for the CB1 receptor in controlling intraocular pressure, helping to explain the antiglaucoma property of cannabinoids.

Topics: Animals; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Choroid; Ciliary Body; DNA, Complementary; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Iris; Organ Specificity; Rats; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; Receptors, Cannabinoid; Receptors, Drug; Retina; RNA, Messenger; Spleen; Transcription, Genetic

Topics: Analgesia; Antiemetics; Appetite Stimulants; Cannabis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Expert Testimony; Glaucoma; Humans; Movement Disorders; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); United States

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) issued a statement on May 19, 1995, announcing its support of clinical trials of the therapeutic uses of marijuana. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has continued to resist permitting clinical trials of marijuana despite evidence that it can relieve symptoms of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. According to Dr. Alvin Novick, head of GLMA's AIDS Task Force, the Clinton Administration is being asked to not let its political fears blind it to the positive and legitimate scientific research designed to alleviate the suffering of thousands of AIDS patients.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Cannabis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Glaucoma; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Neoplasms; Organizations, Nonprofit; United States

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Antiemetics; Antineoplastic Agents; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Nausea; Nutrition Disorders; United States; United States Public Health Service

This article summarizes current knowledge about the medicinal value of cannabis and its principal psychoactive ingredient, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), particularly in the control of nausea and vomiting, in glaucoma, and in reduction of spasticity in multiple sclerosis. The major issues in the controversy about marijuana and medicine, primarily moral and ethical, are discussed.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Anxiety; Bronchial Spasm; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Muscle Spasticity; Nausea; Pain; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Vomiting

Topics: Administration, Topical; Aged; Blood Pressure; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Female; Glaucoma; Heart Rate; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Middle Aged

Topics: Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans

Topics: Cannabis; Carbachol; Glaucoma; Humans; Parasympathomimetics; Sclera; Timolol; Trabecular Meshwork

Topics: Animals; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure

Topics: Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure

Topics: Attitude of Health Personnel; Cannabis; Drug and Narcotic Control; Glaucoma; Hospital Administration; Humans; Legislation, Drug; Neoplasms; Patients; Physicians; Research; United States

Topics: Animals; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Research Design

Topics: Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

Topics: Adult; Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Jurisprudence; Legislation, Drug; Male; Nausea; United States

Topics: Animals; Cannabis; Dogs; Female; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Ophthalmic Solutions; Rabbits

Topics: Antiemetics; Blood Pressure; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure

Topics: Asthma; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Depression; Dronabinol; Drug Stability; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; Humans; Pain; Vomiting

Topics: Cannabis; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Smoking

Topics: Cannabis; Depression, Chemical; Dronabinol; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Phytotherapy

Topics: Administration, Oral; Administration, Topical; Animals; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Eye; Glaucoma; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Intraocular Pressure; Prostaglandins; Rabbits; Tears