31-07-2025
Medical Cannabis Provides Effective Relief From Migraine, Study Suggests
The use of vaporized medical cannabis provided more effective relief for migraine symptoms than a placebo, according to the findings of a recent study. Researchers with the University of California San Diego presented the study's findings at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society last month, according to a report from Medscape Medical News.
Nathaniel M. Schuster, a pain and headache neurologist and the lead investigator on the research, said the study's findings are significant.
'This is the first placebo-controlled study in this space. It's the first real — to me — compelling evidence for the antimigraine effects of cannabis in humans,' he said.
The study of 92 migraine patients compared the use of vaporized cannabis flower containing either THC or both THC and CBD to a placebo. The research found that subjects who used cannabis were more likely to report pain relief after two hours than those who took a placebo.
The data showed that after two hours, 68.9% of migraine patients who used THC cannabis and 67.2% who used marijuana with a combination of THC and CBD reported pain relief, compared to 46.6% of those who took a placebo. Just over half (52.6%) of those who used cannabis with only CBD reported relief, although the researchers did not find the difference compared to placebo to be statistically significant, Marijuana Moment reported.
Cannabis Was An Effective Treatment For Sensitivity To Light And Sound
Schuster said that the researchers initially had concerns that the effect cannabis had on some of migraine sufferers' most bothersome symptoms, such as sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia), might be caused primarily by nausea relief instead of a broader response to migraine symptoms.
'That's certainly not what we found. What we found is that it does have effects on the photophobia and phonophobia, and that's an important finding,' he said.
Amaal J. Starling, MD, associate professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, told Medscape Medical News, that the efficacy and safety of cannabis as a treatment for migraine are not well understood.
'Even though THC/CBD use for the treatment of migraine is a popular topic for patients, there is a paucity of robust clinical trials on this topic. However, people are using cannabis to treat migraine and migraine symptoms, like nausea,' she said.
Cannabis And Migraine
Previous research has also shown that cannabis may be an effective treatment for migraine. A study published in 2020 showed that cannabis was a more effective treatment for migraine than standard pharmaceutical treatments. Separate research published in 2021 showed that data from a clinically validated survey showed that 86% of respondents reported a decrease in headache impact after using a CBD formulation for a 30-day trial period.
Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said the new study is consistent with the reported use of cannabis among migraine patients.
'Nearly one-third of migraine sufferers have tried cannabis for symptom management, and patients consistently report that it significantly reduces their pain severity and migraine frequency,' Armentano said in a statement from cannabis policy reform advocacy group. 'These data further affirm patients' testimonials.'
