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Review
. 2017 Apr 1;2(1):61-71.
doi: 10.1089/can.2016.0033. eCollection 2017.

The Use of Cannabis for Headache Disorders

Bryson C Lochte  1 , Alexander Beletsky  1 , Nebiyou K Samuel  1 , Igor Grant  1
Affiliations
Review

The Use of Cannabis for Headache Disorders

Bryson C Lochte et al. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. .

Abstract

Headache disorders are common, debilitating, and, in many cases, inadequately managed by existing treatments. Although clinical trials of cannabis for neuropathic pain have shown promising results, there has been limited research on its use, specifically for headache disorders. This review considers historical prescription practices, summarizes the existing reports on the use of cannabis for headache, and examines the preclinical literature exploring the role of exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids to alter headache pathophysiology. Currently, there is not enough evidence from well-designed clinical trials to support the use of cannabis for headache, but there are sufficient anecdotal and preliminary results, as well as plausible neurobiological mechanisms, to warrant properly designed clinical trials. Such trials are needed to determine short- and long-term efficacy for specific headache types, compatibility with existing treatments, optimal administration practices, as well as potential risks.

Keywords: cannabis; headache; therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Figures

<b>FIG. 1.</b>
FIG. 1.
Proposed model of the influence of cannabinoids on headache pathogenesis. Each branch corresponds to a mechanistic category listed in Table 3. Orange=systemic; purple=cortex; red=vasculature; green=platelets; blue=brainstem.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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