STUDY CASTS DOUBT ON MARIJUANA'S EFFECTIVENESS AS GLAUCOMA TREATMENT

AUGUSTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A new study that says smoking marijuana is a hazy
and impractical way to treat glaucoma is the latest twist to the medical
marijuana debate.

The study, by ophthalmologist Keith Green at the Medical College of
Georgia, found the medical benefits of smoking marijuana are slight and
relief is temporary.

"Glaucoma is a 24-hour-a-day disease, 365 days-a-year disease and you
cannot get away from it," he said.

The battle over legalizing marijuana for medical purposes has been
smoldering for over 30 years. But the issue has been recently fueled by
voters in five states --Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada and Washington --
who passed laws legalizing the drug to ease the symptoms of certain
diseases such as glaucoma, AIDS and cancer.

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that can lead to blindness if left
untreated. It is caused by an abnormal increase of fluid pressure in the
eye which leads to the gradual loss of vision.

Researchers suspect a chemical in marijuana called tetrahydrocannabinol, or
THC, can reduce interocular pressure which can prevent the disease from
progressing.

But to be effective, Green said a patient would have to smoke an
unrealistic amount of marijuana.

"If you want to maintain a low interocular pressure with marijuana, then
you have to smoke a joint every 1 to 2 hours which is 10 to 12 joints a
day, which is 4,000 a year," he said. "That's by anybody's definition -- no
matter how liberal you are -- a considerable consumption."

His study is published in the recent issue of the American Medical
Association's journal Opthamology.

Marijuana contains over 400 different chemicals, some of which cause a
euphoric feeling that eliminates or lessons pain associated with many
diseases.

But since glaucoma is a painless disease, some doctors feels the negative
effects associated with smoking marijuana outweigh the known benefits, and
patients would be better off using the available prescription medications
until scientists can duplicate the effects of THC in a pill or topical
ointment.

"For those who smoke cigarettes, marijuana has 50 percent more tar and
volatile cancer-inducing compounds," Green said. "It causes emphysema,
changes hormones, changes a whole bundle of things. It is quite a toxic
chemical."

But advocates for medical marijuana say temporary relief is better than
nothing.

"Should these patients suffer so?" said Allen St. Pierre, executive
director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws Foundation.

Next month the Institute of Medicine plans to release its yearlong study on
the medicinal benefits of marijuana use for many diseases, including glaucoma.

Checked-by: Richard Lake