Migraine is one of the most prevalent illnesses in the world. Some 39 million people in the United States and 1 billion people worldwide suffer from migraine headaches, or one in eight men, women, and children living on the planet today. Almost half of all women will experience migraines at some point in their life, most often between the ages of 35 and 45.
Many treatment options are available, including a bevy of preventative and pain-relieving medications. Some sufferers have even turned to psychedelic drugs for relief, which isn’t so surprising when you learn that LSD was first developed as a vasoconstrictor, a class of drugs used to treat migraines.
Cannabis also holds promise as a convenient and effective treatment for pain from migraines and other headaches. According to a review article published in August 2021 by a group of researchers based in Florida, current evidence indicates that cannabis use “decreases migraine duration and frequency” through glutamine, inflammatory, opiate, and serotonin pathways.
Two of the 34 studies included in the review are discussed in greater detail below.
In addition, two other recently published papers suggest that terpenes, the compounds responsible for the fragrance of the cannabis plant, could have something to do with this therapeutic effect.
THC-rich cannabis flower for migraine & headache relief
A study published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine
in September 2020 found inhaled cannabis to be highly effective for headaches. Researchers at the University of New Mexico drew upon more than 2.5 years’ worth of data from the digital app Releaf to study real-time links between cannabis intake and migraine and headache symptoms. Patients used the app to record pain intensity on a 0-10 scale prior to and immediately following cannabis consumption.
Ninety-four percent of users experienced symptom relief within two hours of cannabis use, with an average pain intensity reduction of 3.3. Men reported greater relief than women, and patients younger than 35 tended to improve more than older patients. This study found that THC levels above 10% (as reported by app users according to product labels) were the strongest independent predictor of symptom relief.
Concentrates are more effective than smoked flower
