Living with migraines is living on edge. For many people, triggers are unpredictable: stress, hormonal changes, strong smells, prolonged fasting. The impact on routine, productivity, and relationships is profound, especially when conventional treatments fail or bring unwanted side effects.

In this context, alternative therapies, such as medical cannabis, are gaining ground. The possibility of a plant bringing relief where so many medications have failed sparks a debate that involves science, politics, and, above all, humanity.

It is worth noting that migraines are a complex neurological condition that can paralyze a person's day. Often, they come with disabling symptoms: throbbing pain, nausea, sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia), difficulty concentrating. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), migraines are the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, behind only lower back pain.

The WHO distinguishes occasional headaches, which we all can have, from frequent ones, occurring more than 15 days a month. Migraines affect about 1 billion people on the planet, with episodes lasting from 4 hours to 3 days, and tend to affect more women than men. The reality for those living with this pain goes far beyond a simple painkiller.

Cannabis in migraine treatment: study points to real benefits

In the search for new therapies, a placebo-controlled study presented at the American Headache Society brought a breath of hope: vaporization of medical cannabis, especially the combination of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) with CBD (cannabidiol), demonstrated real benefits in relieving migraine attacks.

Learn More - Learn the difference between CBD and THC

According to the data presented, 68.9% of participants who used THC and 67.2% of those who used the THC-CBD combination reported significant pain relief two hours after administration. In contrast, only 46.6% of the placebo group felt improvement in the same time frame, and 34.5% of the THC-CBD group no longer had pain after two hours, double the rate recorded in the placebo group.

“What we have here is the first real evidence of cannabis's anti-migraine effects in humans,” said neurologist and researcher Nathaniel Schuster from the University of California, San Diego, responsible for the study, to Marijuana Moment.

More than relief: improvement in quality of life

Cannabis also showed a positive impact on the sensory symptoms that accompany attacks. Among participants who used the combined formula of 6% THC and 11% CBD, 56.9% reported improvement in light sensitivity and 74.1% said they felt less discomfort with loud sounds, a significant difference compared to the 37.9% and 51.7% in the placebo group.

On the other hand, the study found no difference in reducing nausea or vomiting. Still, the absence of serious adverse effects reinforces the therapeutic potential of cannabis, even with some degree of mild cognitive impairment reported by THC (26.2%) and THC-CBD (12.1%) users.

Psychedelics also come into focus

The study presented at the American conference also highlights another relevant point: science has been paying more attention to once-stigmatized substances, such as psychedelics. Recent research shows that the controlled use of compounds like psilocybin (found in so-called "magic mushrooms") and LSD can reduce the incidence of frequent headaches by up to 25%.

Although large-scale studies are still lacking and greater regulation of medical cannabis use in migraine treatment is needed, the initial data is promising.

The THC-CBD combination, especially in vaporized form, shows consistent results, both in rapid pain relief and in reducing the most disabling symptoms. 

With information from Marijuana Moment.