Study: Cannabis helps some with headaches

This research was originally published online in September 2021 and was published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences in November 2022. The goal was to determine the effects of cannabis use on headache disorders.

The data was collected from 200 patients in a tertiary headache clinic in Alberta, Canada. They tracked the headache diagnosis and frequency, the doses and methods of cannabinoid delivery, patient benefits, and adverse effects.

About one third of the 200 patients used cannabinoid products, and about 40% of those used cannabis more than 300 times per year. Liquid concentrates and smoked flower were the delivery methods chosen by over 72% of the cannabis users. 5% of the cannabis users voluntarily reported adverse effects in a social or professional situation.

The majority of cannabis users reported a reduction in headache severity:

Sixty percent of respondents felt cannabinoids reduced headache severity, while 29.2% perceived efficacy in aborting headaches. 

about 25% perceive improvements in headache frequency

The paper abstract is here at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.