Cited by 45Glaucoma and retinal disordersCannabis and Cannabinoid ResearchDrug-Induced Ocular Toxicity

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Cannabinoids in Glaucoma Patients: The Never-Ending Story

Open access

Abstract

Glaucoma is one of the principal causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Yet, intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main modifiable risk factor for disease progression. In the never-ending challenge to develop new and effective drugs, several molecules have been tested as anti-glaucoma agents thanks to their pressure-lowering capabilities. Among these molecules, the cannabinoids have been investigated as possible anti-glaucoma drugs since the early 1970s. Cannabinoids are a large class of chemical compounds that exploit their effects by interaction with cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2. These receptors are widely expressed in the human retina where they may influence important functions such as photo-transduction, amacrine cell network maintenance, and IOP regulation. Therefore, in past years several studies have been conducted in order to assess the IOP lowering effects of cannabinoids. PRISMA guidelines have been used to perform a literature search on Pubmed and Scopus aiming to investigate the mechanism of IOP lowering effects and the potential benefits of orally administered, inhaled, topical, and intravenous cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma patients.

Overview

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/jcm9123978

Cites

1 of 1 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Figures

Figure 1 Cannabis sativa plant.
Figure 1 Cannabis sativa plant.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
Figure 2 trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Diagram of glutamate-induced toxicity on retinal ganglion cell.
Figure 3 Diagram of glutamate-induced toxicity on retinal ganglion cell.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Cannabidiol molecular structure with placebo.
Figure 4 Cannabidiol molecular structure with placebo.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Prisma flowchart.
Figure 5 Prisma flowchart.CC BY · PubMed Central

Verification

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 95

  1. Flaxman, 2017, Global causes of blindness and distance vision impairment 1990–2020: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Lancet Glob. Health, 5, e1221, 10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30393-5 · DOI · Paper page
  2. Rossetti, L., Digiuni, M., Giovanni, M., Centofanti, M., Fea, A.M., Iester, M., and Tanga, L. (2015). Blindness and glaucoma: A multicenter data review from 7 academic eye clinics. PLoS ONE, 10. · DOI
  3. Weinreb, 2014, The pathophysiology and treatment of glaucoma: A review, JAMA J. Am. Med. Assoc., 311, 1901, 10.1001/jama.2014.3192 · DOI · Paper page
  4. Hepler, 1971, Marihuana smoking and intraocular pressure, JAMA J. Am. Med. Assoc., 217, 1392, 10.1001/jama.1971.03190100074024 · DOI
  5. Russo, E.B., and Grotenhermen, F. (2014). The Handbook of Cannabis Therapeutics: From Bench to Bedside, Routledge. · DOI
  6. Baraldi, 2016, Medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonists, Chem. Rev., 116, 519, 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00411 · DOI
  7. Grotenhermen, 2003, Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids, Clin. Pharmacokin., 42, 327, 10.2165/00003088-200342040-00003 · DOI
  8. Cairns, E.A., Baldridge, W.H., and Kelly, M.E.M. (2016). The endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target in glaucoma. Neural Plast. · DOI
  9. Chen, 2005, Finding of endocannabinoids in human eye tissues: Implications for glaucoma, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 330, 1062, 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.03.095 · DOI
  10. Dasilva, 2012, Endocannabinoid CB1 receptors modulate visual output from the thalamus, Psychopharmacology, 219, 835, 10.1007/s00213-011-2412-3 · DOI
  11. Nucci, 2008, Potential roles of (endo)cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma: From intraocular pressure control to neuroprotection, Prog. Brain Res., 173, 451, 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)01131-X · DOI
  12. Pate, 2002, Cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma, Pharmacol. Ther., 95, 203, 10.1016/S0163-7258(02)00259-0 · DOI
  13. Katz, 2019, Facts vs fiction: The role of cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma, Curr. Ophthalmol. Rep., 7, 177, 10.1007/s40135-019-00214-z · DOI
  14. Kim, 2006, Investigations on the association between normal tension glaucoma and single nucleotide polymorphisms of the endothelin-1 and endothelin receptor genes, Mol. Vis., 1, 1016
  15. Krishnan, 2015, Anandamide rescues retinal barrier properties in Müller glia through nitric oxide regulation, Neuroscience, 284, 536, 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.10.020 · DOI
  16. Lax, 2014, Neuroprotective effects of the cannabinoid agonist HU210 on retinal degeneration, Exp. Eye Res., 120, 175, 10.1016/j.exer.2014.01.019 · DOI
  17. Marsicano, 2003, CB1 cannabinoid receptors and on-demand defense against excitotoxicity, Science, 302, 84, 10.1126/science.1088208 · DOI · Paper page
  18. Samy, 1994, Toxicity of chronic glutamate administration to the retina, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 35, 497
  19. Schwitzer, 2015, The cannabinoid system and visual processing: A review on experimental findings and clinical presumptions, Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol., 25, 100, 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.11.002 · DOI
  20. Flom, 1975, Marijuana smoking and reduced pressure in human eyes: Drug action or epiphenomenon?, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 14, 52
  21. Panahi, 2017, The arguments for and against cannabinoids application in glaucomatous retinopathy, Biomed. Pharmacother., 86, 620, 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.11.106 · DOI
  22. Stout, 2012, The hexanoyl-CoA precursor for cannabinoid biosynthesis is formed by an acyl-activating enzyme in Cannabis sativa trichomes, Plant J., 71, 353, 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2012.04949.x · DOI
  23. Taura, 2007, Cannabidiolic-acid synthase, the chemotype-determining enzyme in the fiber-type Cannabis sativa, FEBS Lett., 581, 2929, 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.05.043 · DOI
  24. Lindgren, 1981, Clinical effects and plasma levels of DELTA 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (DELTA 9-THC) in heavy and light users of cannabis, Psychopharmacology, 74, 208, 10.1007/BF00427095 · DOI
  25. Mechoulam, 2002, Cannabidiol: An overview of some pharmacological aspects, J. Clin. Pharmacol., 42, 11S, 10.1002/j.1552-4604.2002.tb05998.x · DOI
  26. Scuderi, 2009, Cannabidiol in medicine: A review of its therapeutic potential in CNS disorders, Phyther. Res., 23, 597, 10.1002/ptr.2625 · DOI
  27. Brenneisen, 1996, The effect of orally and rectally administered delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on spasticity: A pilot study with 2 patients, Int. J. Clin. Pharm., 34, 446
  28. Chiang, 1983, Systemic absorption of DELTA9-tetrahydrocannabinol after ophthalmic administration to the rabbit, J. Pharm. Sci., 72, 136, 10.1002/jps.2600720210 · DOI
  29. Schwitzer, T., Schwan, R., Angioi-Duprez, K., Giersch, A., and Laprevote, V. (2016). The Endocannabinoid System in the Retina: From Physiology to Practical and Therapeutic Applications. Neural Plast. · DOI
  30. Lucas, 2018, The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids, Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol., 84, 2477, 10.1111/bcp.13710 · DOI · Paper page
  31. McPartland, 2015, Are cannabidiol and Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin negative modulators of the endocannabinoid system? A systematic review, Br. J. Pharm., 172, 737, 10.1111/bph.12944 · DOI
  32. Tagliaferro, 2011, Distribution of CB2 cannabinoid receptor in adult rat retina, Synapse, 65, 388, 10.1002/syn.20856 · DOI
  33. Bouskila, J., Javadi, P., Elkrief, L., Casanova, C., Bouchard, J.F., and Ptito, M. (2016). A comparative analysis of the endocannabinoid system in the retina of mice, tree shrews, and monkeys. Neural Plast. · DOI
  34. Wei, 2009, Presence and regulation of cannabinoid receptors in human retinal pigment epithelial cells, Mol. Vis., 15, 1243
  35. Zhan, 2005, Effects of marijuana on aqueous humor dynamics in a glaucoma patient, J. Glaucoma, 14, 175, 10.1097/01.ijg.0000151882.07232.1d · DOI
  36. Romano, 2004, Cannabinoid agonists induce contractile responses through G i/o-dependent activation of phospholipase C in the bovine ciliary muscle, Eur. J. Pharmacol., 494, 55, 10.1016/j.ejphar.2004.04.039 · DOI
  37. Su, 2015, Role of endothelium in abnormal cannabidiol-induced vasoactivity in retinal arterioles, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 56, 4029, 10.1167/iovs.14-14879 · DOI
  38. Colasanti, 1990, A comparison of the ocular and central effects of DELTA9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabigerol, J. Ocul. Pharmacol. Ther., 6, 259, 10.1089/jop.1990.6.259 · DOI
  39. Ramer, 2006, R(+)-methanandamide and other cannabinoids induce the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and matrix metalloproteinases in human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 316, 1219, 10.1124/jpet.105.092858 · DOI
  40. Plange, 2007, Dronabinol and retinal hemodynamics in humans, Am. J. Ophthalmol., 143, 173, 10.1016/j.ajo.2006.07.053 · DOI
  41. Hommer, 2020, The effect of orally administered dronabinol on optic nerve head blood flow in healthy subjects—A randomized clinical trial, Clin. Pharmacol. Ther., 108, 155, 10.1002/cpt.1797 · DOI
  42. Green, 1978, Effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on ocular blood flow and aqueous humor formation, Exp. Eye Res., 26, 65, 10.1016/0014-4835(78)90152-5 · DOI
  43. Yoles, 1996, HU-211, a nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, produces short- and long-term neuroprotection after optic nerve axotomy, J. Neurotrauma, 13, 49, 10.1089/neu.1996.13.49 · DOI
  44. Zalish, 2003, Dexanabinol (HU-211) has a beneficial effect on axonal sprouting and survival after rat optic nerve crush injury, Vision Res., 43, 237, 10.1016/S0042-6989(02)00494-7 · DOI
  45. Opere, 2006, Inhibition of potassium-and ischemia-evoked [3H] D-aspartate release from isolated bovine retina by cannabinoids, Curr. Eye Res., 31, 645, 10.1080/02713680600762747 · DOI
  46. Crandall, 2007, Neuroprotective and intraocular pressure-lowering effects of (-)Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in a rat model of glaucoma, Ophthalmic Res., 39, 69, 10.1159/000099240 · DOI
  47. Nucci, 2007, Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in retinal damage after high intraocular pressure-induced ischemia in rats, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 48, 2997, 10.1167/iovs.06-1355 · DOI
  48. Sharma, 2013, Neuroprotective effects of topical CB1 agonist WIN 55212-2 on retinal ganglion cells after acute rise in intraocular pressure induced ischemia in rat, Exp. Eye Res., 110, 55, 10.1016/j.exer.2013.02.009 · DOI
  49. Liu, 2014, Clinical study on intravitreal injection of cannabinoid HU-211 for optic nerve damage in glaucoma rats, Int. Eye Sci., 14, 1584
  50. Arend, 2004, Pathogenetic aspects of the glaucomatous optic neuropathy: Fluorescein angiographic findings in patients with primary open angle glaucoma, Brain Res. Bull., 62, 517, 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2003.07.008 · DOI
  51. Schwitzer, 2020, Spatial localization of retinal anomalies in regular cannabis users: The relevance of the multifocal electroretinogram, Schizophr. Res., 219, 56, 10.1016/j.schres.2019.01.013 · DOI
  52. Lucas, 2019, Association between increased retinal background noise and co-occurrent regular cannabis and alcohol use, Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry, 89, 335, 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.10.002 · DOI
  53. Schwitzer, 2016, Transient retinal dysfunctions after acute cannabis use, Eur. Addict. Res., 22, 287, 10.1159/000446823 · DOI
  54. Cohen, M. (1976). Experiences with administration of marihuana to glaucoma patients. The Therapeutic Potential of Marihuana, Springer. · DOI
  55. Braude, M.C., and Szara, S. (1976). Ocular effects of marihuana smoking. The Pharmacology of Marihuana, Raven Press.
  56. Newell, 1979, Nabilone: A Pressure-reducing synthetic benzopyran in open-angle glaucoma, Ophthalmology, 86, 156, 10.1016/S0161-6420(79)35539-7 · DOI
  57. Tiedeman, 1981, Effect of synthetic cannabinoids on elevated intraocular pressure, Ophthalmology, 88, 270, 10.1016/S0161-6420(81)35052-0 · DOI
  58. Flach, 2002, Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the treatment of end-stage open-angle glaucoma, Trans. Am. Ophthalmol. Soc., 100, 215
  59. Tomida, 2006, Effect of sublingual application of cannabinoids on intraocular pressure: A pilot study, J. Glaucoma, 15, 349, 10.1097/01.ijg.0000212260.04488.60 · DOI
  60. Gagliano, 2011, Ocular hypotensive effect of oral palmitoyl-ethanolamide: A clinical trial, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 52, 6096, 10.1167/iovs.10-7057 · DOI
  61. Pescosolido, 2011, Palmitoylethanolamide effects on intraocular pressure after Nd: YAG laser iridotomy: An experimental clinical study, J. Ocul. Pharm., 27, 629, 10.1089/jop.2010.0191 · DOI
  62. Strobbe, 2013, Effectiveness of palmitoylethanolamide on endothelial dysfunction in ocular hypertensive patients: A randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 54, 968, 10.1167/iovs.12-10899 · DOI
  63. Merritt, 1980, Effect of marihuana on intraocular and blood pressure in glaucoma, Ophthalmology, 87, 222, 10.1016/S0161-6420(80)35258-5 · DOI
  64. Jay, 1983, Multiple-drop study of topically applied 1% delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in human eyes, Arch. Ophthalmol., 101, 591, 10.1001/archopht.1983.01040010591012 · DOI
  65. Merritt, 1981, Topical DELTA 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and aqueous dynamics in glaucoma, J. Clin. Pharmacol., 21, 467S, 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb02626.x · DOI
  66. Merritt, 1981, Topical DELTA9-tetrahydrocannabinol in hypertensive glaucomas, J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 33, 40, 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1981.tb13699.x · DOI
  67. Green, 1982, Ocular effects of topical administration of DELTA9-tetrahydrocannabinol in man, Arch. Ophthalmol., 100, 265, 10.1001/archopht.1982.01030030267006 · DOI
  68. Porcella, 2001, The synthetic cannabinoid WIN55212-2 decreases the intraocular pressure in human glaucoma resistant to conventional therapies, Eur. J. Neurosci., 13, 409, 10.1046/j.0953-816X.2000.01401.x · DOI
  69. Pescosolido, 2018, Evaluation of cannabinoid eye drops on five patients with intractable hypertensive open angle glaucoma, Opth. Clin. Ther., 2, 1
  70. West, 1996, Cannabis as a medicine, Br. J. Anaesth., 76, 167, 10.1093/bja/76.1.167 · DOI
  71. Purnell, 1975, Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, euphoria and intraocular pressure in man, Ann. Ophthalmol., 7, 921
  72. Cooler, 1977, Effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on intraocular pressure in humans, South Med. J., 70, 951, 10.1097/00007611-197708000-00016 · DOI
  73. Rapino, 2017, Neuroprotection by (endo)Cannabinoids in glaucoma and retinal neurodegenerative diseases, Curr. Neuropharmacol., 16, 959, 10.2174/1570159X15666170724104305 · DOI
  74. Belyea, 2016, Marijuana use among patients with glaucoma in a city with legalized medical marijuana use, JAMA Ophthalmol., 134, 259, 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.5209 · DOI
  75. Higginbotham, 2016, Shaping patients’ perspective of medical marijuana for glaucoma treatment, JAMA Ophthalmol., 134, 265, 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.5290 · DOI
  76. Green, 1998, Marijuana smoking vs cannabinoids for glaucoma therapy, Arch. Ophthalmol., 116, 1433, 10.1001/archopht.116.11.1433 · DOI
  77. Keppel Hesselink, J.M., Costagliola, C., Fakhry, J., and Kopsky, D.J. (2015). Palmitoylethanolamide, a natural retinoprotectant: Its putative relevance for the treatment of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. J. Ophthalmol. · DOI
  78. Vecino, 2011, Cannabinoid applications in glaucoma, Arch. Soc. Esp. Oftalmol., 86, 16, 10.1016/j.oftal.2010.11.015 · DOI
  79. Kaufman, 1998, Marijuana and glaucoma, Arch. Ophthalmol., 16, 1512, 10.1001/archopht.116.11.1512 · DOI
  80. Peña, J., Jiménez, C., and Schmidt, J. (2018). Do cannabinoids play a role in the control of glaucoma?. Medwave, 18. · DOI
  81. Pujari, 2019, Treating Glaucoma with medical marijuana: Peering through the smoke, Ophthalmol. Glaucoma, 2, 201, 10.1016/j.ogla.2019.02.007 · DOI
  82. Sun, 2015, Marijuana for glaucoma: A recipe for disaster or treatment?, Yale J. Biol. Med., 88, 265
  83. Sherif, 2018, The psychiatric consequences of cannabinoids, Clin. Ther., 40, 1448, 10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.03.013 · DOI
  84. Gruber, 2003, Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case-control study, Psychol. Med., 33, 1415, 10.1017/S0033291703008560 · DOI
  85. Karila, 2014, Acute and long-term effects of cannabis use: A Review, Curr. Pharm. Des., 20, 4112, 10.2174/13816128113199990620 · DOI
  86. Panlilio, 2015, Cannabinoid abuse and addiction: Clinical and preclinical findings, Clin. Pharmacol. Ther., 97, 616, 10.1002/cpt.118 · DOI
  87. Huestegge, L., Radach, R., Kunert, H.J., and Heller, D. (2002). Visual search in long-term cannabis users with early age of onset. Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier. · DOI
  88. Laffi, 1993, Persistent visual changes following hashish consumption, Br. J. Ophthalmol., 77, 601, 10.1136/bjo.77.9.601 · DOI
  89. Levi, 1990, Visual illusions associated with previous drug abuse, J. Clin. Neuroophthalmol., 10, 103
  90. Novack, 2016, Cannabinoids for treatment of glaucoma, Curr. Opin. Ophthalmol., 27, 146, 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000242 · DOI
  91. Cvenkel, B., and Kolko, M. (2020). Current medical therapy and future trends in the management of glaucoma treatment. J. Ophthalmol. · DOI
  92. Moher, 2009, Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement, J. Clin. Epidemiol., 62, 1006, 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.005 · DOI · Paper page
  93. Howick, 2010, Evidence-based mechanistic reasoning, J. R. Soc. Med., 103, 433, 10.1258/jrsm.2010.100146 · DOI
  94. Keaney, 1999, Auditing the implementation of SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) clinical guidelines, Int. J. Health Care Qual. Assur., 12, 314, 10.1108/09526869910297331 · DOI
  95. Guyatt, 2011, GRADE guidelines: 1. Introduction-GRADE evidence profiles and summary of findings tables, J. Clin. Epidemiol., 64, 383, 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.026 · DOI · Paper page

Cited by

Sorted by citations

See all 45

Metadata

Authors
Passani, A., Posarelli, C., Sframeli, A. T., Perciballi, L., Pellegrini, M., Guidi, G., & Figus, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Pisa (IT)
  • IRCCS Azienda Ospedliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola (IT)
Corresponding author
Posarelli, Chiara
Venue
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-12-08
Volume
9
Issue
12
Pages
3978
ISSN
2077-0383 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3112477524
Cited by
45
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6
FWCI
0.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Clinical Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CINECA IRIS Institutial research information system (University of Pisa) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Institutional Research Information System University of Ferrara (University of Ferrara) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Glaucoma and retinal disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Drug-Induced Ocular Toxicity
Keywords
cannabinoids, glaucoma, intraocular pressure, glaucoma medications, cannabinoid receptors, CB1 receptor, CB2 receptor, retina

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review