A study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado suggests that medical marijuana can cure migraines, Mid Day Daily reports.
This was the first time a study on the subject of medical marijuana was performed, since previous U.S. regulations did not allow researchers to obtain cannabis for studies.
For the study, the researchers studied 121 volunteers who had a previous history of migraines.
The team treated the volunteers of their migraines with medical marijuana from the years 2010 to 2014. The results showed that after the treatment, the frequency of migraines suffered by the participants dropped to less than half.
The medical marijuana was either smoked or eaten by the volunteers. It was discovered that the pain relief occurred much faster when the medical marijuana was eaten.
Until now, medical marijuana has been legalized in 23 states, which include Washington, New York and California.
The researchers believed that the research study was important as medical marijuana could be considered as a legal treatment against migraines, in the states where it legal.
However, the researchers pointed out that not everyone who had migraines should use medical marijuana since marijuana has different effects on different people.
"There was a substantial improvement for patients in their ability to function and feel better," said the study's senior author Laura Borgelt from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US, according to NDTV.
"Like any drug, marijuana has potential benefits and potential risks. It is important for people to be aware that using medical marijuana can also have adverse effects," Ms Borgelt cautioned.
The researchers suggested that serotonin that is present in marijuana plays an important role in the treatment of migraines. However, they could not point out how exactly does marijuana help not only to ease the pain, but also reduce the number of migraines.
"We believe serotonin plays a role in migraine headaches, but we are still working to discover the exact role of cannabinoids in this condition," Ms Borgelt said, according to NDTV.
The study is one of the first to reveal a drop in migraine frequency due to medical marijuana.
