Placebo-Controlled Study Shows Greater Efficacy of Cannabis in Treating Migraine

A new placebo-controlled clinical research indicates that vaporized cannabis may relieve acute migraine symptoms more effectively than a placebo in adults. 

The study involved 92 participants with migraines who treated up to four different attacks with various formulations of cannabis or placebo.

Study Details and Key Findings

In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants used vaporized cannabis in four distinct forms: cannabis with 6% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), with 11% CBD (cannabidiol), a combination of 6% THC and 11% CBD, and a cannabis placebo with no active ingredients.

Learn More - How THC and CBD Can Help Relieve Migraine? Find Out Now

The results showed that the combination of THC and CBD was superior to placebo in several outcomes assessed two hours after administration. About 67.2% of participants who used the THC + CBD formulation reported pain relief, compared to 46.6% in the placebo group. Additionally, complete freedom from pain was observed in 34.5% of users of the combination, compared to 15.5% in the placebo group during the same period.

The study also recorded that the beneficial effects of the THC + CBD combination extended over time, with data indicating sustained pain relief for up to 24 hours and reduction of bothersome symptoms for up to 48 hours compared to placebo.

Among the formulations tested, cannabis with isolated THC proved to be more effective than placebo only for pain relief, not achieving statistically significant differences in other secondary outcomes. Meanwhile, cannabis with isolated CBD did not demonstrate superior efficacy to placebo in any measured outcomes.

The study also did not record any serious adverse events related to the use of cannabis formulations during the observation period.