New Study Proves Long Term Cannabis Consumption is Not Harmful to Eye Health
A long-term cannabis research study has revealed that cannabis can be a helpful tool in improving eyesight over time, and it definitely won’t hurt it. This long-term study has lasted for more than 30 years, and was originally started to investigate whether heavy cannabis consumption in different cultural groups was linked to poor eyesight.
Sampling 12,686 American men and women from 1979 to 2010, researchers compared light cannabis smokers to heavy cannabis smokers, and tracked the eye health of patients with special attention to sex, race and education level.
Smoking in general has been linked to eye damage and the acceleration of macular degeneration, which is associated with loss of vision and an increased risk of developing cataracts. In this study, there were no connections that were seen in smoking cannabis and eye damage, which is great because it dispels other studies and opinions toward cannabis harming our health. In the case of glaucoma, the study showed that cannabis actually lowers the pressure in the eye and subsequently cuts the risk of optic nerve damage.
The study also dispelled a previous assumption that long term cannabis use would result in retinal cell dysfunction. This study said that an anomaly like that could be imperceptible for cannabis consumers. Retina damage can come from a number of sources that we encounter in everyday life; laser pointers at the grocery store, for instance, can cause retina burn and actually come with warnings about looking directly into the laser. Vitamin A and E deficiencies, eye injuries and natural aging are all higher risk factors for retinal impairment than smoking cannabis.
The National Institute of Health published a study last year which found that “Cannabinoids improved retinal sensitivity and low-light vision, suggesting it could be beneficial for treating degenerative eye diseases.”
The study found that,
There was no statistically significant difference in the self-reported quality of eyesight among heavy marijuana smokers compared with youths who never used marijuana or are light marijuana users. Heavy marijuana smokers, males and high school graduates have decreased odds of reporting a poor quality of eyesight.
The study was published by the U.S. National Institute of Health, because of the growing favor and consumption of cannabis among adults in the country. The study wanted to facilitate the development of sex-, racial -, and educational level-informed prevention and early intervention programs to help long-term eye health. So, to sum up, cannabis won’t hurt your vision, and if you have ocular pressure or glaucoma, it may even help your vision.
