A study from researchers at the University of New Mexico found that more than nine out of 10 migraine patients who inhaled cannabis experienced relief from their symptoms. The report is titled “Alleviative effects of cannabis flower on migraine and headache,” was published this month in the Journal of Integrative Medicine.
699 migraine sufferers over a period of 32 months were studied. Participants inhaled cannabis while they were at home and reported their its effect on symptoms via the smartphone application Releaf.
“According to the current results, cannabis flower appears to be effective at reducing headache- and migraine-related pain intensity for most people that choose to use it,” the authors of the study wrote.
They also stated that “It seems possible that the use of cannabis flower, combined with other behavioral modifications, might offer some patients a natural, safer, and more effective treatment regimen, compared to the use of some conventional prescription pharmaceuticals.”
The study found that 94% of participants reported relief of symptoms within two hours of cannabis inhalation.
“These results suggest that whole dried Cannabis flower may be an effective medication for treatment of migraine- and headache-related pain, but the effectiveness differs according to characteristics of the Cannabis plant, the combustion methods, and the age and gender of the patient,” the researchers concluded.
