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 wmaximal medical therapy#_ but continue to experience
 intraocular pressures in excess of 20 mm Hg._ and/or suffer
 progressive injury to the optic nerve and further erosion of
 vision.
 As Dr° Hepler observes:
 Above all_ even with the use of all presently
 available forms of medical therapy, there are
 many patients whose IOPs are not controll _
 able, who the_gre lose vision and may
 become blind. _I
 Oarrent estimates on the number of glaucoma patients
 refractory to conventional IoPmlowering drug therapies tend to be
 fragmentary. According to Dr. Merritt, about 20% of elderly
 Caucasians, 20% of Blacks under the age of 50 and 35% to 40% of
 Black glaucoma patients over the age of 50 are refractory to
 conventional glaucoma-control therapies. 9Jill Dr. Merritt also
 ..... identifies two subgroups of glaucoma pa_ients -- those afflicted
 with juvenile open-angle glaucoma (diagnosed before the age of
 35), and those who have gone blind from glaucomas but still
 require IOP-lowering therapy -- as difficult to treat with
 conventional IOP-lowering drugs. _-_/
 Confronted by a failure of _maximal medical therapy #
 .... both physicians and patients must consider stark alternatives.
 ___2d Act Official State Reports_ Vol. 2, Exhibit I0 - #Protocol_
 A Research Program to Make Marijuana Available to Glaucoma
 Patients for use as an Intraocular Antihypertensive_ # New Jersey
 State Department of Health Controlled Substances Therapeutic
 Research Programe Aprils 1985_ p. 42 (quoting Heplerg Robert S. &
 Petrus, Robert J., #Experiences with Administration of Marijuana
 to Glaucoma Patients). #
 ___/ Cross-examination of Dr. John Merritt, Tro I0-72.
 ___/ _. at I0-112_I13.
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