Marijuana’s Effect on Glaucoma

Re “Pot Lovers Are Hiding Behind Terminally Ill,” Column Right, Feb. 11: Charles Krauthammer’s column is an unfortunate polemic on a complicated subject and contains glaring misstatements concerning glaucoma. Referring to marijuana, he states, “While it can reduce intraocular pressure (with huge doses of pot), it can also constrict blood supply to the optic nerve, exacerbating vision problems.”

As to the “huge doses,” this is a clear misstatement of published fact. Smoking a single marijuana cigarette was shown in a federally sponsored experiment (Hepler, et al., “Ocular Effects of Marihuana Smoking,” in “The Pharmacology of Marihuana,” Raven Press, 1976), to substantially lower intraocular pressure and to keep it at the lowered level for four to five hours. In addition, since no one has published data on the effects of smoking marijuana on optic nerve blood supply, I am anxiously awaiting appearance in the medical literature of the research I presume Krauthammer has done to demonstrate this effect. Otherwise, he should retract his statement.

I write this letter not as an advocate of “cannabis buyers’ clubs” or of Proposition 215 but as a citizen concerned that the public be able to make decisions about these matters with a grounding in fact, not hyperbole and wrong information.

ROBERT S. HEPLER MD

Prof. of Ophthalmology, Emeritus

UCLA School of Medicine

Krauthammer says if we want to legalize pot we should state our case. Here’s mine: Make marijuana use illegal prior to age 21; mandatory after age 41.

RAE LEWIS

Santa Monica