POT DOESN'T HELP GLAUCOMA TREATMENT

Re: Reefer madness remains, editorial.

Using marijuana to treat glaucoma seems to avoid the real problems of
glaucoma. Diagnosing glaucoma is very difficult. It's been pointed out
that half the people on glaucoma medicines do not need them. Yet many
people who should be using the medicines don't. Glaucoma must be
accurately diagnosed and treated appropriately.

Many of the surgical procedures for treating glaucoma aren't safe.
Some of the most sophisticated and complicated procedures that many
surgeons cannot do are the safe procedures. So we have a very
difficult paradox in glaucoma treatment.

Adding the concept of people pushing marijuana for the treatment of
glaucoma makes it even more difficult. This is not approaching the
problem; it's approaching an alibi for the use of the drug, rather
than a legitimate use of the drug in medical care. The editorial
states that there is "anecdotal evidence that the drug offers
significant relief for some symptoms of glaucoma." This "anecdotal
evidence" is not scientifically credible in a potentially blinding
disease such as glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a difficult problem. It's a very important problem. It's
important that we're very careful not to promote practices that aren't
based on sound diagnosis and prudent therapy, which is the essence of
good medicine.

James P. Gills, M.D., Tarpon Springs