Written by Renata Filiaci, MSHW

Past research has shown that cannabis can be indicated for symptom management disorders, including cancer, chronic pain, headaches, migraines, and psychological disorders (anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Active ingredients in cannabis that modulate patients’ perceptions of their conditions include Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), flavonoids, and terpenes. Few anecdotal studies have found a limited relationship between cannabis use and migraine frequency. Multiple studies have demonstrated that cannabis use decreases migraine duration and frequency and headaches of unknown origin. Patients suffering from migraines, related conditions, and adverse effects from migraine medication may benefit from cannabis therapy due to its convenience and efficacy.

The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of cannabis in the treatment of migraines in adults. Researchers found eligible studies that included adults aged 18 years and older. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility. A total of 12 publications involving 1,980 participants in Italy and the United States of America were included. Cannabis significantly reduced nausea and vomiting associated with migraine attacks after 6 months of use. Also, cannabis reduced the number of days of migraine after 30 days, and the frequency of migraine headaches per month. Cannabis was 51% more effective in reducing migraines than non-cannabis products. Compared to amitriptyline, cannabis aborted migraine headaches in some (11.6%) users and reduced migraine frequency. While the use of cannabis for migraines was associated with the occurrence of medication overuse headaches (MOH), and the adverse events were mostly mild and occurred in 43.75% of patients who used oral cannabinoid preparations.

In another literature review, the purpose of this article is to document the validity of how cannabis can be utilized as an alternative therapy for migraine management. Thirty-four relevant articles were selected after a thorough screening process using PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The review article shows encouraging data on cannabis’s therapeutic effects on alleviating migraines in all the studies reviewed. Beneficial long-term and short-term effects of cannabis were reported. It was effective in decreasing daily analgesic intake, dependence, and level of pain intensity. Some patients experienced a prolonged and persistent improvement in their health and well-being (both physically and mentally) after long-term use of cannabis. Overall, patients reported more positive effects rather than adverse effects with cannabis use.

Even though research is sparse, researchers sought to determine whether inhalation of cannabis decreases headache and migraine ratings as well as whether gender, type of cannabis (concentrate vs flower), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, or dose contribute to changes in these ratings. Archival data from Strainprint were obtained. This free medical cannabis app provides individuals with a means of tracking changes in symptom severity as a function of different doses and strains of cannabis. Results revealed that for most cannabis use sessions, patients reported reductions in headache (89.9%) and migraine severity (88.1%). Moreover, a 47.3% decrease in headache severity and a 49.6% decrease in migraine severity were reported following cannabis use. These results suggest that inhaled cannabis reduces the perceived severity of headache and migraine by nearly 50%. Nevertheless, the null results indicate that cannabis reduces migraine severity regardless of the type, dose, THC or CBD content.

Comparisons of men and women revealed that more women than men reported headache exacerbation, and more men than women reported headache reduction, following cannabis use. Moreover, men reported larger reductions in headache severity following cannabis use than did women. Nevertheless, the size of the gender differences in the present study are quite small, with differences of only 1.1% and 1.8% in the percentage of men and women who reported headache exacerbation and reduction, respectively.

While use of cannabis flower was associated with significant reductions in headache ratings, use of concentrates was associated with significantly larger reductions in these ratings. To date, almost no research has examined the health effects of concentrates and as such this finding is entirely novel. Given that concentrates are far more potent than flower, it is tempting to think that this effect may reflect their potency. Researchers also examined evidence for change in perceived efficacy of cannabis over time to explore whether tolerance or sensitization to its effects develops. The results revealed that reductions in headache ratings diminished as a function of time/cannabis use sessions, suggesting that tolerance may develop with repeated use of the drug. In contrast, time/cannabis use sessions were unrelated to change in migraine ratings, which is consistent with previous research and suggests cannabis remains an effective treatment for migraines with repeated use.

If you or someone you know suffers from migraines or headaches often, cannabis might be the way to go. Through evidence, the efficacy of cannabis shows to perform better than prescription medicine as well as, even if tolerance grows, the use of cannabis still reduces headaches and migraines.