vol2 - Page 216

 56. "End Stage" glaucoma can be described in several
 ways. Essentially, it defines a patient who has already lost
 substantial amounts of vision® Available glaucoma control
 drugs are no longer able to adequately reduce XOP to prevent
 furthers progressive sight loss. The patient, lacking
 additional XOP reductlonsF will go blind.
 57. Robert Randall represents one type of "End Stage _'
 glaucoma, which implies that his visual fields and optic nerves
 have been severely compromised_ In effect, despite Mr. Randall's
 use of all available glaucoma control drugs at the highest
 permitted dosages_ his lOP remained %eyond good medical manage_
 mento Left in.this conditions Mr. Randall would have gone
 blind. ..
 58. Marijuana's additional lOP reducing effects can
 provide patients already using conventional therapies with
 critically needed reductions in lOP that help to stabilize the
 ' ....... patient's vision. This is what occurred in Mr. Randall_s case.
 59. While his glaucoma could not be controlled with
 conventional medicines_ marijuana, in combination with some of
 those medicines, allowed Mr. Randall to ::egain control over his
 !OP short of surgical intervention.
 60. If marijuana failed to work, Mrs Randall would stil_
 have the option of surgery to correct his elevated lOP.
 i Surgeryr however, should be viewed as a _last resort _ procedure
 because of its risks, particularly in a young patient like
 Mr. Randall.