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 treatment determination on when laser surgery may be necessary
 is, however, appropriately left to the ophthalmic community to
 resolve.
 In sum, glaucoma left untreated has serious
 consequences -- including the progressive loss of sight. Thus
 extremely powerful chemical agents with debilitating adverse
 physical or mental effects are acceptable in the life-long battle
 to preserve a patientes vision. Likewise_ high risk surge_l as
 a last resort is also warranted°
 Despite this seemingly long list of treatments
 currently accepted as #safe n in the treatment of glaucoma, there
 is still no medically known cure for the disease. As Dr. Hepler
 has stated:
 Above all, even with the use of all presently
 < available forms of medical therapy, there are
 ...... many patients whose IOPs are not
 controllable_ whoA_refore lose vision and
 may become blind_ _t
 In 1981_ the National Academy of Sciences/Institute on
 .... Medicine assessed current glaucoma control therapies:
 Treatment of glaucoma depends on the type and
 cause° It may be pharmacological or
 surgical. Surgery is useful treatment in
 relatively few cases_ there is a high
 _i incidence of failure and serious complica-
 tions may occur. Available antiglaucoma drugs
 are effective in regulating intraocular
 pressure in many patients_ and are the
 mainstay of treatment of the most common form
 487/ Act Official State Reportsg Vo!. IX, 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 Program, Aprils 1985, p. 42 (quoting Hepler_
 Robert So & Petr_s_ Robert J. _ _Experiences with Administration
 of Marijuana to Glaucoma Patients)._
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