Abstract
Marijuana has been in use for a long period of both prophylactic and symptomatic treatment of a migraine. Many physicians have regarded marijuana highly due to its safety and effectiveness in the treatment of a migraine as compared to conventional drugs which have adverse side effects on the user. Despite the fact that the use of marijuana for medication has not been legalized in many countries due to the fear of overdependence on the user, current anecdotal and ethnobotanical studies have proved the efficacy of marijuana as a the lasting solution to the migraine relief. While biomedical studies on the THC has availed scientific basis for the use of cannabis for treatment, she still needs to have controlled clinical studies that can help medical practitioners to determine the extent to which cannabis can be used for treatment so as to reduce overdependence and the abuse of the drug.
The potential medical benefits of marijuana far outweigh its possible dangers, yet the drug is considered as being harmful and illegal. In fact, cannabis is regarded as a schedule I restricted substance in some countries meaning the drug does not have medical benefits thus restricting its use. However, Anderson (2015) reiterates that there are many reasons that qualify marijuana to be categorized as a schedule II substance which acknowledges the use of it as a drug but strictly regulates the use due to high potential for abusing marijuana.
In the United States, for example, the topic of legalizing marijuana and its usage for medical reasons is a controversial issue that has elicited conflicts between the federal and the state laws. A good example is the recent crackdown by the federal government of California in 2011 on dispensaries that were using marijuana for the treatment of a migraine (Crippa, 2012).
Many health practitioners have reiterated that medical marijuana provides a safe and efficient way of prevention and the treatment of migraine headaches. A migraine is a persistent headache that causes significant pain for hours. According to Baron (2015), some migraines are accompanied sensory signs which are referred to as "auras" which include blind spots and flashes of light. Primarily, migraines are always preceded by vomiting, nausea and severer sensitivity sound and light.
Despite the fact that the exact cause of migraines is not clear, the medical condition is reported to affect 6% of men and 18% of women in the United States. A study by Hoffmann (2014) opines that migraines are caused by constriction which is preceded by the increase of the blood vessels in the human brain. However, Napchan et al. (2011) hold a view that migraines are caused by chemical or mechanical disturbances in the brain. Further, the drop in serotonin levels during migraines have been attributed to the headache pains.
Environmental factors and genetics may also play a critical role in triggering migraines. Hormonal changes in women, stress, and change in sleeping pattern may cause migraines. Once one is diagnosed with a migraine, the patient is subjected to some drugs which have been certified for the treatment of migraines. Some of the drugs may be used to arrest the condition while others are just used to reduce the frequency or severity of migraines. Some of the conventional drugs used in the treatment of migraines include sedatives and antinausea medication. Despite the sheer number of various types drugs used to treat migraines, none of the drugs has been more effective in the treatment of the condition. Also, some of these drugs have side effects on the body of the user thus making the healing process a complex affair (Lozano, 2001).
The use of marijuana for the treatment of the migraines has proved to the most effective method of treating this medical condition. Pharmacologically, marijuana contains active elements called cannabinoids.Research by Murnion (2015) highlights that cannabis has more than 460 known chemical components. An example of the natural components in cannabis includes delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a psychoactive component in the cannabis that makes one high after smoking marijuana.
The possible link between migraines and cannabinoids shown by a study by Baron (2015) which highlighted that the brain has numerous cannabinoid receptors known as periaqueductal gray (PAG).The PAG is part of the neural system is thought to be responsible for both generations of a migraine and the suppression of the headaches a fact that makes marijuana an essential component in the treatment of the migraines.
A study by Mathern et al. (2014) on the effectiveness of marijuana in relieving pain examined five separate cases where patients volitionally experimented with marijuana for the treatment of the migraines. Of the five cases, three of the patients who had chronic headaches were relieved of the headache faster that the two who used conventional medication for treatment of a headache a fact that increase the prominence of the use of marijuana for the treatment of a migraine. However, subsequent research by Holland (2010) was critical of the use of cannabis as a pain reliever noted that those patients who smoked marijuana recorded a significant increase in the pain threshold compared to the patients who did not use cannabis a fact the contradicts its use as a pain reliever.
Research by Baron (2015) on the potency of the smoked marijuana showed that there is a positive correlation between the serum THC and the subjective "high”. A forensic review by Hoffman (2014) on the effects of cannabis on driving reiterated that isolated adverse cases were noted on the secondary impairment by drivers who used cannabis. The study found out that there was no correlation between the plasma levels of THC and the levels of apparent impairment that smoking marijuana may exhibit.
Another experiment by Borowlz et al. (2015) where ten health volunteers decided to smoke cannabis so as to examine its effects on the reduction of vomiting and nausea proved to be effective. The research evaluated the antiemetic impact of smoked marijuana conataining16.8 and 8.4 mg THC compared to ondansetron.The researcher used syrup ipecac to induce emesis and nausea. Those volunteers who smoked marijuana recorded a significant decrease in the ratings of nausea and a slight reduction in vomiting incidents as compared to those volunteers who used the placebo. The effects of the usage of cannabis for the treatment of a migraine were found to be modest compared to the use of other conventional drugs for the treatment of migraines.
In the recent past, anecdotal and ethnobotanical references have continued to champion for the efficacy of marijuana for the treatment of a headache. Besides, a biochemical research of anandamide and THC gives scientific justifications for the use of marijuana via serotonergic, anti-inflammatory mechanisms together with the interaction with NMDA systems (Murnion, 2015).
I decide to select articles that were published in authentic medical scholarly medical journals so as to obtain valid and credible data that can make my study more reliable. Also, I chose to include those studies that were backed empirical evidence so as to get real figures and credible information on the use of marijuana for the treatment of the migraines.
The study is critical in the care of the patients. For instance, the study can help in guiding caregivers on how to regulate the usage of marijuana for the treatment of the migraines and the guiding the patients in the safe ways of using marijuana without missing.
The study can also help in the guiding of the policy makes' in the health sector to develop legislations that will ensure that the use of marijuana for medical purposes is legitimized owing to immense benefits of the plant. Furthermore, the study can help in the development of patient management regulations that ensures that the use of marijuana for treatment should be limited to shorter medical conditions so as to avoid addiction and overdependence on marijuana.
References
Anderson, D. M., Hansen, B., & Rees, D. I. (2015). Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2067431
Baron, E. P. (2015). Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Marijuana, Cannabinoids, and Therapeutic Implications in Medicine and Headache: What a Long Strange Trip It's Been.Headache, 55(6), 885-916. doi: 10.1111/head.12570. Epub
Borowicz, K. K., Kaczmarska, P., & Szalewska, B. (2014). Medical use of marijuana. apgr, 18(1), 13-17. doi:10.15442/apgr.18.1.20
Crippa, L. A. (2012). The paradox of Cannabis sativa: the plant that can induce psychotic symptoms and also treat them. Schizophrenia Research, 136, S26. doi:10.1016/s0920-9964(12)70092-0
Hoffmann, F. and Manning M. (2014). Herbal medicine and botanical medical fads. New York: Routledge.
Holland, M.D. (2010).The pot book: complete guide to cannabis.London: Inner Traditions/Bear & Co.
Lozano, I. (2001). The Therapeutic Use of Cannabis sativa (L.) in Arabic Medicine. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, 1(1), 63-70. doi:10.1300/j175v01n01_05
Mathern, G., Nehlig, A., & Sperling, M. (2014). Cannabidiol and medical marijuana for the treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsia, 55(6), 781-782. doi:10.1111/epi.12647
Murnion, B. (2015). Medical cannabis. medical cannabis, 36(6), 212-215. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4674028/
Napchan, U., Buse, D. C., & Loder, E. W. (2011). The Use of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Headache. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 51(3), 502-505. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2011.01848.x
