| Title: | Vaporized cannabis versus placebo for acute migraine: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial |
| Authors: | Nathaniel M. Schuster, Mark S. Wallace, Thomas D. Marcotte, Dawn C. Buse, Euyhyun Lee, Lin Liu, Michelle Sexton |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Journal: | Headace |
A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial from Nate Schuster, MD, Michelle Sexton, ND, and colleagues at UC San Diego, including Tom Marcotte, Ph.D., Co-Director of the CMCR, evaluated whether vaporized cannabis flower can provide acute relief for migraine. The study compared distinct formulations containing THC alone, CBD alone, combined THC + CBD, and placebo.
Ninety-two adults with a history of migraine were enrolled, and a total of 247 migraine attacks were treated. At two hours post-treatment, the combined THC + CBD formulation (~6% THC, ~11% CBD) was superior to placebo for pain relief, complete pain freedom, and freedom from the most bothersome migraine-associated symptom. These benefits were sustained, with higher rates of pain freedom at 24 hours and sustained symptom relief at 24 and 48 hours. The THC-dominant formulation (~6% THC) was also superior to placebo for pain relief at two hours but did not significantly improve pain freedom or associated symptoms. In contrast, the CBD-dominant formulation (~11% CBD) did not differ from placebo on any primary migraine outcome.
Importantly, no serious adverse events were reported. Overall, the findings suggest that vaporized cannabis flower containing both THC and CBD may offer clinically meaningful, sustained relief for acute migraine, whereas THC alone provides more limited benefit and CBD alone does not appear effective in this setting. These results highlight the importance of cannabinoid composition when considering cannabis-based approaches for migraine treatment.
Read the full publication here.
Citation: Schuster NM, Wallace MS, Marcotte TD, Buse DC, Lee E, Liu L, Sexton M. Vaporized cannabis versus placebo for acute migraine: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Headache. 2025 Dec 30. doi: 10.1111/head.70025. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41469488.