Glaucoma

 Glaucoma is defined as a group of eye diseases that damages the optic nerve in the back of the eye and causes vision loss or blindness. There are no early symptoms that may alert an individual of glaucoma, and the onset is often very slow. In fact, most individuals do not realize they have glaucoma until they begin losing their vision, but some do not even realize their eyesight is changing. Where there are no known causes for glaucoma, it is reported that many people with glaucoma also experience high eye pressure, and treatments that lower their eye pressure have been shown to help slow glaucoma. Common treatments for reducing eye pressure include medicines, laser treatment, and possible surgery.  Furthermore, glaucoma is one of the most frequently cited reasons for using marijuana as it can also aid in reducing eye pressure, as discovered in the 1970s. However, a major drawback to using marijuana as a treatment for glaucoma is it is temporary. Eye pressure must be regulated 24 hours a day, but the benefits of marijuana only last 3-4 hours. Using marijuana consistently every day is not realistic and may lead to further cognitive and functional impairment. Further research must be conducted on this topic.