Characterizing Cannabis Use and Perceived Benefit in a Tertiary Headache Center Patient Sample

For my next stroke I will use cannabis for recovery.

And you certainly can't listen to me, I'm not medically trained. So ask your doctor to vet everything here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't your competent? doctor prescribe marijuana years ago to help your stroke recovery?  Oh, you don't have a functioning stroke doctor, do you? 

• 13 reasons for marijuana (132 posts to April 2014)

• marijuana (150 posts to April 2011)

But this: 

Pot Smoking Baby Boomers Are On The Rise, Why Are Scientists So Happy For Them? Hint: Benefits For The Aging Brain

And this:

The Experiments Revealing How Marijuana Could Treat Dementia

The latest here:

Characterizing Cannabis Use and Perceived Benefit in a Tertiary Headache Center Patient Sample

Brianna Starkey, MA https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0041-3637, Godfrey D. Pearlson, MD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7525-5185, Dale Bond, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1976-1235, Cathy Glaser, JD https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7660-1368, Aakash Bhargava, MD https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9863-2151, Brian M. Grosberg, MD https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7803-5387, and Allison Verhaak, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4641-1027Authors Info & Affiliations

April 2024 issue

14 (2)

https://doi.org/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200285

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Abstract

Background and Objectives

Research suggests a potential role for cannabinoids in the etiology and treatment of migraine. However, there is a paucity of research on usage patterns and perceived benefits of cannabis use in clinical headache patient populations.

Methods

Patients from a tertiary headache center completed a 1-time online survey regarding cannabis use patterns and perceived benefits of cannabis-based products in treating migraine symptoms, clinical features, and risk factors (e.g., depression, sleep disturbance). Descriptive analyses were performed.

Results

Data were collected from 1373 patients (response rate 25.4% [1,373/5,400]), with 55.7% reporting cannabis-based product use in the past 3 years and 32.5% indicating current use. The most frequently cited reasons for cannabis-based product use were treating headache (65.8%) and sleep concerns (50.8%). Inhaled products (i.e., smoked/vaped) and edibles were the most commonly reported delivery methods, with THC/CBD (∆9 tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol) blends as the most-cited product composition. A majority of participants reported cannabis-related improvements in migraine headache characteristics (i.e., intensity: 78.1%; duration: 73.4%; frequency: 62.4%), nausea (56.3%), and risk factors (sleep disturbance: 81.2%; anxiety: 71.4%; depression: 57.0%). Over half (58.0%) of the respondents reported only using cannabis products when experiencing a headache, while 42.0% used cannabis most days/daily for prevention. Nearly half (48.9%) of the respondents reported that cannabis use contributed to a reduction in medication amount for headache treatment, and 14.5% reported an elimination of other medications. A minority (20.9%) of participants reported experiencing side effects when using cannabis products for headache, most commonly fatigue/lethargy. For those participants who reported no use of cannabis-based products in the previous 3 years, approximately half indicated not knowing what cannabis product to take or the appropriate dosage.

Discussion

This is the largest study to date to document cannabis product usage patterns and perceived benefits for migraine management in a clinical headache patient sample. A majority of patients surveyed reported using cannabis products for migraine management and cited perceived improvements in migraine characteristics, clinical features, and associated risk factors. The findings warrant experimental trials to confirm the perceived benefits of cannabis products for migraine prevention and treatment.

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