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Cannabinoids and hallucinogens for headache.

Brian E McGeeney¹

¹Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. bmcg@bu.edu

|January 3, 2013

Summary

Despite legal restrictions, patients use hallucinogens and cannabinoids for headache relief, particularly for migraines and cluster headaches. Further research is needed to confirm their efficacy due to limited studies.

Area of Science:

Neurology
Pharmacology

Background:

Hallucinogens and cannabinoids are federally controlled substances with restricted medical use.
Despite legal status, patient use for headache relief is increasing, particularly with medical marijuana legalization.

Observation:

Cannabinoids have a historical use in treating migraines, both preventatively and abortively.
Hallucinogens are anecdotally reported as effective for cluster headache patients to abort attacks and maintain remission.

Findings:

Patient self-treatment with hallucinogens and cannabinoids for headaches is prevalent.
Lack of physician awareness regarding historical and current patient use of cannabis for medical purposes.

Implications:

The legal status of these substances impedes crucial medical research into their efficacy for headache disorders.

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There is a need for rigorous, blinded studies to evaluate the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and hallucinogens in headache management.