norml09 - Page 18

 he has not kept up on new medical and scientific information
 about marijuana for 18 years.
 Only one of the doctors called[ by NORML is a
 nationally-recognized expert° Doctor John Co Merritt is a
 board-certified ophthalmologist and researcher who has
 authored articles on the use of marijuana and cannabinoids
 to reduce eye pressures He is in private practice and sees
 mostly children who suffer from glaucomas Doctor Merritt
 testified_ "[M1arijuana is a highly effective IOP-lowering
 drug which may be of critical value to some glaucoma
 patients who, without marijuanap 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 !ater_ in i980, Doctor Merritt gave the
 following testimony_ 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 repeatedly_ day in and
 day outs 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
 giaucoma_ which is a chronic diseases the real
 issue is_ does the marijuana repeatedly lower the
 intraocular pressure? I have shown you
 no...studies, and to my knowledge there is no data
 to that effect°
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