UC San Diego Testing Cannabis Treatment For Migraines, Seeking Participants

UC San Diego Health is looking into cannabis as a potential treatment for acute migraines.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is one of the first known clinical trials, reports CSN.

Researchers put out a call on May 19 for participants in the trial.

Despite the existing FDA-approved treatments on the market, many patients are turning to cannabis products containing THC or CBD to treat their migraines, according to experts.

"Many patients who suffer from migraines have experienced them for many years but have never discussed them with their physicians,'' Dr. Nathaniel Schuster, a pain management specialist and headache neurologist at UCSD Health and investigator at the UCSD Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research told CSN.

Around 20 participants are currently enrolled in the clinical trial.

"They are, rather, self-treating with various treatments, such as cannabis,'' he said. "Right now, when patients ask us if cannabis works for migraines, we do not have evidence-based data to answer that question.''

The researchers' goal is to have 90 participants in total. They will be randomized to treat four separate migraine attacks with four different treatments. One treatment will be with THC, CBD, a combination of the two, and a placebo.

The products will be administered through a vaporizer, according to CSN.

You can learn more about the trial here.

Photo: Getty Images


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