Medical use of cannabis for glaucoma

October 2018

Background

The clinical utility of cannabis (sometimes referred to as marijuana or marihuana) for the treatment of glaucoma is limited by the inability to separate the potential clinical action from the undesirable neuropsychological and behavioural effects. The Canadian Ophthalmological Society does not support the medical use of cannabis for the treatment of glaucoma due to the short duration of action, the incidence of undesirable psychotropic and other systemic side effects and the absence of scientific evidence showing a beneficial effect on the course of the disease. This is in contrast to other more effective and less harmful medical, laser and surgical modalities for the treatment of glaucoma.

Access Details

Read the full policy statement from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) and the Canadian Glaucoma Society (CGS).