One of these is CBD's ability to relieve pain. Does CBD oil's pain relief and analgesic property also cover migraines?

First, what is migraine?

It is important to note that not all headaches classify as a migraine. Migraines result from specific changes in the brain and cause severe pain on one side of the head, which some sufferers describe as "throbbing," "pounding," or having a pulsating sensation. Migraines are often accompanied by sensitivity to sound, light, and smells. Other migraine symptoms include eye pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Migraine attacks usually last for a few hours to days. Sometimes, before the headache, or along with it, one would experience blind spots, flashes of light, or tingling of the arm of leg or on one side of the face.

The exact cause of migraine is not known for certain, but genetic and environmental factors may be involved. A migraine can be triggered by different factors like stress, hormonal changes in females, changes in sleep and wake pattern, certain food like cheeses and processed food, drinks like alcohol and caffeinated beverages, changes in weather, physical activity or physical exertion, medications like vasodilators and oral contraceptives, and sensory stimuli like bright lights, glare, smoke, and strong perfume smell.

Conventional treatment for migraines

Migraine can usually be treated with prescription or over-the-counter medication. Prescription drugs used to relieve migraine pain include triptans like sumatriptan, eletriptan, rizatriptan, naratriptan, zolmitriptan, almotriptan, and frovatriptan.

Trying to avoid food and drinks that trigger migraines and doing lifestyle changes like eating healthy and exercising could also prove effective for some people.

Can CBD oil help treat migraines?

Research and conclusive clinical evidence on the effective use of CBD oil for migraine are quite limited and lacking. This is due to the regulated nature and illegal status of cannabis.

However, despite the obstacles that cannabis is facing, some laboratory studies suggest that CBD oil helps in various forms of acute and chronic pain. This already includes migraines.

The endocannabinoid system and migraine

There are theories that migraines are caused by a dysregulation in the body's endocannabinoid system or ECS, which is a network of neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors. The ECS acts to modulate pain, mood, appetite, sleep, memory, and the immune system.

Scientists have observed certain mechanisms in the ECS that may have something to do with migraine attacks. A study conducted in 2007 involved measuring endocannabinoid levels in chronic migraine patients' cerebrospinal fluid. The study found significantly lower amounts of the prime endocannabinoid anandamide, thus suggesting that this may reflect impaired ECS in patients with chronic migraine, which may contribute to severe head pain.

This link between lower endocannabinoid levels in migraine patients led to the formulation of a theory called “Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency.” This theory was developed by Dr. Ethan Russo, a neurologist and cannabinoid researcher.

Russo said in an interview with Project CBD that without enough endocannabinoids, one will experience "pain where there shouldn’t be any pain" and "a litany of other problems." According to him, this endocannabinoid deficiency can be addressed through the introduction of plant cannabinoids to the body.

Russo specifically singles out CBD as one that brings balance to the ECS, saying that "CBD is an endocannabinoid modulator," which increases endocannabinoid levels when it's low and lowers it down when there's too much activity.

Another explanation is the role CBD plays as a FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase) inhibitor. FAAH is an enzyme that breaks down anandamide. So by inhibiting the production of FAAH, there's more of the pain-relieving endocannabinoid. This, in turn, benefits patients who suffer migraine.

In other words, regardless of the theory, CBD is believed to interact with the body's endocannabinoid receptors and bring balance to the ECS as a whole.