Can marijuana really treat glaucoma, and is it legal?

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Can marijuana really treat glaucoma, and is it legal?

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Studies performed in the 1970s reported that smoking marijuana could lower eye pressure. Other studies have been inconclusive. Newer reviews by the National Eye Institute and the Institute of Medicine show that there is no scientific evidence that marijuana is more effective than the medications currently available.

As for legality, you may have heard about the political battles to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, including the treatment of glaucoma. A few states have passed laws legalizing marijuana for treatment purposes. However, it remains against federal law for doctors to prescribe marijuana.

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