Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Migraine in Adults: A Review of the Evidence
- PMID: 35711271
- PMCID: PMC9197380
- DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.871187
Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Migraine in Adults: A Review of the Evidence
Abstract
Background: Medical cannabis (MC) has been hypothesized as an alternative therapy for migraines, given the undesirable side effects of current migraine medications. The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of MC in the treatment of migraine in adults.
Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science for eligible studies in adults aged 18 years and older. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility. A narrative synthesis of the included studies was conducted.
Results: A total of 12 publications involving 1,980 participants in Italy and the United States of America were included.Medical cannabis significantly reduced nausea and vomiting associated with migraine attacks after 6 months of use. Also, MC reduced the number of days of migraine after 30 days, and the frequency of migraine headaches per month. MC was 51% more effective in reducing migraines than non-cannabis products. Compared to amitriptyline, MC aborted migraine headaches in some (11.6%) users and reduced migraine frequency. While the use of MC for migraines was associated with the occurrence of medication overuse headaches (MOH), and the adverse events were mostly mild and occurred in 43.75% of patients who used oral cannabinoid preparations.
Conclusions: There is promising evidence that MC may have a beneficial effect on the onset and duration of migraine headaches in adults. However, well-designed experimental studies that assess MC's effectiveness and safety for treating migraine in adults are needed to support this hypothesis.
Keywords: cannabinoids; headaches; medical cannabis; medical marijuana; migraine.
Copyright © 2022 Okusanya, Lott, Ehiri, McClelland and Rosales.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Figures
References
-
- GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators . Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. Lancet. (2017) 390:1211–59. 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32154-2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources