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 IND/NDA review officer forthe FDA) are uniform in their judgment
 :_. that Mr. Randall has lost extensive vision to glaucoma ands
 absent surgical intervention or the introduction of marijuana as
 an lOP-lowering agent, he would be forced into surgery or go
 blind°
 TkTee witnesses in this proceeding -- Drs. Hepler,
 Mez_±tt and North -- have evaluated M_. Randall's response to
 marijuana therapy and all three have reached the same clinical
 Judgment -- marijuana affords Mr. Randall with a critically
 needed reduction in ocular tensions. D_rSo Merritt and North, who
 have provided marijuana to Mr. Randall in the context of long-
 term medical therapies, have conducted visual field tests and
 have independently concluded that marijuana-induced reductions in
 lOP have prevented further injury to Mr. Randall_s optic discs.
 Xn his court testimony_ Dro Merritt -- who treated
 Mr. Randall from November, 1976_ through January, 1978, states:
 _[Randall's visual fields] did not progress over the 14 months
 that I took care of him. n 77_/
 Dr. North, who has treated Mr. Randall with marijuana
 since May, 1978, states the matter more precisely:
 Marijuana is not merely effective_ it is
 critical to the medical control of this
 patientSs glaucoma ....
 This control over lOP has halted progressive
 damage to the optic discs MIo Randall's
 57_/ (.°°continued)
 572/ Cross-examination of Dr. Richard North Tr. 7-88_ _Without
 marijuana [Mr. Randall] would have been blindo n
 7_/ Cross_examination of Dr_ John Merritt, Tr. 10-46.
 183 -




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