Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Glaucoma: A Review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of mechanisms and clinical literature without systematic review methodology.
PubMed 39474241 · doi:10.1159/000541461
What was done
The authors reviewed literature from the 1970s onward regarding natural and synthetic cannabinoid derivatives for glaucoma, focusing on potential biological mechanisms, clinical efficacy in healthy volunteers and glaucoma patients, adverse effect profiles across various formulations, and challenges related to ocular drug delivery systems.
What was found
No numerical results were reported in the abstract. Cannabinoids lower intraocular pressure, but the effect is short-lived. Due to transient efficacy and lack of well-formulated ocular delivery systems, the available evidence is insufficient to recommend cannabinoids for routine glaucoma treatment.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes decades of research to clarify that, despite biological plausibility, current cannabinoid formulations do not provide sustained intraocular pressure lowering suitable for routine clinical management.
Limits
This is a narrative review with no systematic search methodology reported in the abstract. Specific sample sizes, effect sizes, duration of pressure reduction, and adverse event frequencies are omitted.