The use of cannabis has been widely studied as a treatment option for chronic diseases. There is already evidence of the substance’s action in reducing headaches, but a new moment in world science is emerging a more forceful study on the effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) on migraine. Researchers want to know: THC and CBD are effective in treating acute migraine.
In May 2021, researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) hospital in the US announced the start of the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with about 20 volunteers who will be randomized to treat four types of migraine in four different treatments: one with THC, one with CBD, one with a combination of the two and one with placebo. The method of use chosen was vaporization.
“Vapored cannabis may be more effective for those patients who have nausea or gastrointestinal problems with their migraines,” said Schuster, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, in a statement.
However, there are already other studies that show the therapeutic potential of THC and CBD in the treatment of migraine.
A cross-sectional survey of medical cannabis users, conducted by researchers in the US, found that 35.5% of users reported using cannabis to treat headaches/migraine and 27% to treat nausea (which is one of the symptoms of the disease) . Patients retrospectively reported a mean reduction of 3.6 points (on a 10-point scale) in headache severity after using the plant.
Even though clinical studies have not yet been completed, the studies carried out are based on the effects of cannabinoids on serotonin in the central nervous system.
From this perspective, a survey conducted at the University of Colorado, USA, proposed to study the effects of medicinal cannabis and its cannabonoids, such as THC and CBD, on the monthly frequency of migraine.
One hundred twenty-one adults with a primary diagnosis of migraine received treatment for migraine or prophylaxis with medicinal cannabis between January 2010 and September 2014. The conclusion was that the frequency of migraine decreased from 10.4 to 4.6 pains of head per month with the use of the plant.
In addition to the effective treatment of the disease, cannabis and its cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, can help treat migraine symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, very common among patients living with the disease.
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