Migraines impact millions of Americans. In addition to causing blinding pain, migraines also make people sensitive to noise and light. In the worst cases, migraines can get so bad they cause severe nausea.

Many have a hard time finding a good way to treat migraines. For the 12% of U.S. citizens who suffer from migraines, any kind of help is welcome. Marijuana, known for its ability to combat pain, has emerged as a possible answer.

Research now backs up the belief in using marijuana for migraines.  The latest study comes from Israel, where researchers studied 145 people who tried cannabis to help the number and severity of their migraines. More than 60% said they had success using marijuana for migraines.

The researchers found that using marijuana for migraines helped reduce the pain for patients. They also found that patients used lower amounts of other drugs, such as opioids.

Patients Got Better Sleep, Used Fewer Drugs

Researchers started the study because of the widespread issue with migraines. They wrote that migraines impact 1% to 2% of the world’s population. They noted that migraines “constitute a disabling neurological disorder.”

Treatment is hit or miss, depending on the patient. Drugs used include triptans, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and opioids. Researchers noted that in recent years the use of cannabis “for the treatment of chronic pain in general” has led to interest in trying marijuana for migraines.

Woman with a median age of 45 made up the majority people in the study. Patients used marijuana to treat their migraines for an average of three years. Of the 145 people in the study, 89 reported that their frequency and severity of their migraines improved.

Many also reported better sleep quality as well as lower use of triptans and opioids. The researchers conclude that more study is needed into the complexity of using marijuana for migraines. However, they believe their findings warrant that further study.

Other Studies Into Cannabis For Pain

The idea of using cannabis to treat pain is nothing new. Study after study has shown that cannabis can lower pain for people. It’s one of the main reasons seniors have started using marijuana in larger numbers. It’s also one of the reasons why people treat pets with CBD.

The Israeli study also backs the findings of a study from Washington State University in 2019. That study found that marijuana reduced the severity of migraines by about 50% for hundreds of sufferers.

The study also found that patients had a bigger reduction in pain by using cannabis oil rather than flower. Men also reported a larger lessening of pain than women. Also, they found that the THC content of cannabis had no impact on how well marijuana treated migraines.