norml08 - Page 18

 he has not kept up on new medical and scientific information
 about marijuana for i8 years..
 Only one of the doctors called by NORML is a
 nationally-recognized expert. Doctor John C. Merritt is a
 board-certified ophthalmologist and researcher who has
 authored articles on the use of marijuana and cannabinoids
 to reduce eye pressure° He is in private practice and sees
 mostly children who suffer from glaucoma. Doctor Merritt
 testified_ "[M_arijuana is a highly effective 10P_lowering
 drug which may be of critical value to some glaucoma
 patients whoa without marijuanae would progressively go
 blind." The last scientific study using marijuana in
 glaucoma patients_ published by Doctor Merritt in 1979_
 concluded:
 It is because of the frequency and severity with
 which the untoward events occurred that marijuana
 inhalation is not an ideal therapeutic modality
 for glaucoma patients°
 One year later, in 1980, Doctor Merritt gave the
 following testimonye under oath, before the United States
 Congress_ House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and
 Control:
 For me to sit here and say that the lowering
 pressure effects occurred repeatediy_ day in and
 day out, I have no data, and neither does anyone
 else, and that is the real crux of the matter.
 When we are talking about treating a disease like
 glaucoma, which is a chronic disease, the real
 issue is, does the marijuana repeatedly lower the
 intraocular pressure? I have shown you
 no_ostudies, and to my knowledge there is no data
 to that effect°
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