August 23, 1999 – From 1860 to 1941, the Cannabis was recognized as an effective drug for preventing and relieving migraine and was part of the Official Pharmacopoeia of the United States. In an article published in the medical journal Bread and making a scientific and historical review of its medical use, the author reviews the existing data on its usefulness in the treatment of migraine.
According to the article, the Cannabis was held in high esteem by American and English physicians from the latter half of the 19th century until the 1940s. Dr William Osler, one of the fathers of modern medicine, even said of migraine that “Cannabis sativa is probably the most effective remedy ”. Despite protests from the American Medical Association, the Cannabis was declared illegal in the United States in 1937 and was withdrawn from the American Pharmacopoeia in 1941. However, in 1942, the Journal of the American Medical Association continued to recommend it for the treatment of menstrual migraines.
Although there is no modern clinical research on the use of Cannabis For migraine relief, several small pain relief studies have reported positive results in chronic headache pain and increased pain tolerance. Similarly, a study on oral doses of THC, the active compound in Cannabis, has been shown to provide dose-related pain relief in cancer patients. It appears that the cannabinoids involved in pain relief block pain signals in an area of the brain believed to be linked to the onset of migraines.
According to the author of the study, the medical use of marijuana for migraine relief deserves careful consideration, both in biochemical and clinical studies.
HealthPassport.net
Russo W. Cannabis for migraine treatment: the once and future prescription? An historical and scientific review. Bread. 1998; 76: 3-8.