vol2 - Page 213

 40. _ Clearly, for some patients_ synthetic Delta-9 T_C
 simply failed to reduce lOP.
 41_ There was a second problem in trying to use
 synthetic Delta-_ T_C within the context of glaucoma therapy_
 Synthetic Delta-i) T_C is highly psycho-active (mind alter-
 ing). Glaucoma _:reatment requires the chronice long term use
 of drugs to cont_:ol IOP. It quickly became apparent that
 synthetic Delta-!) T_C induced dysphoria.
 42° When it became clear that synthetic Delta-9 THC
 pills were not an effective alternative means of achieving the
 lOP reductions possible with marijuana, the government, through
 the National Eye Institute (NEI)_ began funding efforts to
 _. transform synthetic THC into a topical (eyedrop) agent.
 43. There are a number of reasons why this approach was
 doomed to failure. Firsts the studies which suggested THC
 eyedrops might be effective were conducted on rabbits. There
 ere no good animal models for glaucoma. Second, THC is not a
 water soluble chemlcalo_®THC, however_ had to be suspended in
 sesame seed oil. Third, THC is a very large molecule
 chemical. All ether topical preparations for glaucoma tend to
 be based on small molecule chemicals which can penetrate the
 eye.
 44. This attempt to develop an effective T_C based
 eyedrop consumed funds which should have gone into basic
 research on mar_juana's immediate therapeutic value to glaucoma
 patients, and irLt 9 longe_term studies into the natural
 products mode of action.