

Doctors diagnosed Tanya with migraines and insomnia at a young age. Her physicians placed her on very heavy medications that she says clouded her developing brain and affected her personality. Her first experience with cannabis changed her life. Tanya slept through the night and woke up feeling more like herself than ever before. She could be passionate about hobbies and relationships. Today, marijuana helps her be a better mother. Instead of exhausted and forgetful from insomnia, Tanya can wake ready to help her three children learn and engage with the outside world.



Migraines



Tanya is not alone. Migraine pain and symptoms affect 29.5 million Americans. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services states that “migraines are the most common form of disabling headache that sends patients to see their doctors. About three out of four people who have migraines are women, most commonly between the ages of 20 and 45.” Doctors do not know the exact cause of migraines, but most researchers think that they are due to abnormal changes in levels of chemicals naturally produced in the brain, including neurotransmitters and hormones. The body uses its own endocannabinoid system to regulate these chemicals, but the system may “go out of alignment.” The resulting fluctuations can cause symptoms ranging from headaches to depression.



Doctors believe the levels of these substances increase in the case of migraines, causing inflammation. This inflammation then triggers blood vessels in the brain to swell which puts pressure on nearby nerves and results in pain. Scientists hypothesize that cannabidiol (CBD) may be able to fix a faulty endocannabinoid system because CBD appears to control what molecules can bind to the body’s cannabinoid receptors. Certain migraines involve a release of the neurotransmitter serotonin in blood platelets, and a 2017 study noted that THC reduced this release, effectively acting as an anti-inflammatory.



Many women experience migraines in conjunction with their menstrual cycle. A recent survey found that 40% of female cannabis users are doing so to treat PMS. Not only that but scientists have found cannabis to be excellent therapy for nausea, another common premenstrual symptom. Since marijuana has minimal side effects when compared with pharmaceuticals, it may be an excellent place to start for those seeking a remedy for pain of many types, not just migraine.



One of the common side effects of pharmaceuticals designed to treat pain is drowsiness. The effects of oxycontin are labeled as nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, weakness, sweating, lightheadedness, dizziness, and drowsiness. Tanya explains in her story how the pharmaceutical regimen she was on made her feel like she was always “out of it,” and it makes sense that her energy and clarity returned with cannabis. While cultivators breed some strains of marijuana for their relaxing, often sleep-inducing effects, others are produced to give users a boost. The variance in effects is due to the different terpene profiles of individual strains.



Terpenes are chemicals within the cannabis essential oils responsible for their aroma. Scientists have found around 200 in marijuana. The terpenes allowed the herbaceous plant to continue to thrive throughout history in different parts of the world by repelling insects and animal grazers. Others are antifungal and antibacterial. Terpenoids, as they are also called, exist in all kinds of plants. Think of the popular scents of essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, and pine.



The physiological effects of terpenes on humans are not well studied, but scientists have determined that they provide an “Entourage Effect” with cannabinoids. This entourage effect is at the root of the vastly different results reported from using different strains. In general, Indica dominant varieties contain sedating terpene profiles responsible for the well-known “stoned” effect. Sativa dominant strains tend to be energizing. Users often describe their high as clear and stimulating. By utilizing strains with different terpene content, people suffering from similar conditions to Tanya can use cannabis as a medicine to treat insomnia in at night, and lethargy in the morning.



Insomnia



According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “one in four women has some insomnia symptoms, such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or both. About one in seven adults has chronic (long-term) insomnia.” When it comes to cannabis as a treatment, the results are mixed. Researches believe that this is due to the multiple factors that can contribute to insomnia. Insomnia triggered by an incident such as trauma may not respond to treatment the same way as someone whose issue appears organically. Successful treatment is also dependent upon a person’s lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and other drug use. For some, marijuana profoundly benefits their insomnia and scientists see a correlation for this success in the laboratory.



Researchers concluded in a 2017 review “that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may decrease sleep latency but could impair sleep quality long-term.” In other words, THC can help users fall asleep but reduce deep sleep while CBD can improve deep sleep but is not as useful as a sleep aid. Further, CBD may be able to restore healthy sleep cycles in sufferers with longer-term use due to its regulation of the endocannabinoid system and normalizing effects it has on circadian rhythms.

Terpenes and the Importance of Strain Specificity



Other studies have pointed out that many experiments using THC-rich cannabis have not accounted for the variability of effects from strain to strain and different terpene profiles. Results might be different for better or worse in studying insomnia if strains specially bred to induce drowsiness were used. This is a common issue in almost all cannabis research until recently. It’s important that the marijuana community educate the public on the concept that not all marijuana is created equally. Just because one variety doesn’t achieve a positive result does not mean there isn’t a strain that could provide a better outcome. Consumers looking for relief from insomnia may want to start with CBD and Indica dominant THC-rich types of cannabis.



Cannabis might not be the answer for everyone, but evidence suggests it is quite useful for many. THC and CBD both have promising results in addressing sleep issues including insomnia and disrupted sleep cycles. CBD’s endocannabinoid-regulating effect may aid those suffering from migraines too. THC has improved the symptoms of migraine and headache sufferers in multiple studies. It’s also a proven remedy for nausea, a common symptom of those suffering from migraines, headaches, and PMS. The low incidence of side effects when compared with pharmaceutical alternatives definitely makes cannabis worth consideration.







Bibliography

Babson, K. A., Sottile, J. and Morabito, D. (2017) “Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature,” Current Psychiatry Reports, 19(4). doi: 10.1007/s11920-017-0775-9.

Baron, E. P., Lucas, P., Eades, J. and Hogue, O. (2018) “Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in a medicinal cannabis cohort.,” Current neurology and neuroscience reports., 24 May. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29797104.

“Insomnia” (2018) womenshealth.gov, 21 November. Available at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/insomnia.

Kovacevich, N. (2019) “Not Your Father’s Cannabis,” Forbes, 11 February. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickkovacevich/2019/02/11/not-your-fathers-cannabis/#6db8c5bd18fb.

Lochte, B. C., Beletsky, A., Samuel, N. K. and Grant, I. (2017) “The Use of Cannabis for Headache Disorders,” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2(1), pp. 61–71. doi: 10.1089/can.2016.0033.

Machado, F. C., Stéfano, S. C., De, R., Rosa, L. M. and Da, D. X. (2008) “Therapeutic use of Cannabis sativa on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.,” Current neurology and neuroscience reports., September. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18625004.

“Migraine” (2019) womenshealth.gov, 31 January. Available at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/migraine.

“Oxycontin Oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing” (no date) WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-2798/oxycontin-oral/details.

Russo, E. B. (2016) “Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes,” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 1(1), pp. 154–165. doi: 10.1089/can.2016.0009.

Volfe, Z., Dvilansky, A. and Nathan, I. (no date) “Cannabinoids block release of serotonin from platelets induced by plasma from migraine patients.,” Current neurology and neuroscience reports. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2997048.

“Women Regularly Choose Cannabis to Take Control of Their Health” (no date) BDS Analytics. Available at: https://bdsanalytics.com/press/women-regularly-choose-cannabis-to-take-control-of-their-health/.