A 100:1 CBD-to-THC ratio pretreatment reversed CGRP-induced migraine symptoms in mice, including light aversion and spontaneous pain, supporting cannabis-based approaches for migraine.
Migraine sufferers interested in cannabis, headache medicine specialists, and researchers studying cannabinoid-CGRP interactions.
What the researchers found
Pretreatment with 100 mg/kg CBD + 1 mg/kg THC rescued CGRP-induced light aversion, reduced resting time in darkness, increased light/dark transitions, and partially rescued spontaneous pain (squint assay) in mice. The effects were specific to migraine (CGRP-induced) rather than general anxiety.
Why it matters
CGRP is the validated target in current migraine medications. Showing that cannabinoids can counteract CGRP-induced migraine symptoms provides mechanistic support for cannabis-based migraine treatment and clarifies the optimal CBD:THC ratio.
The numbers in context
100:1 CBD:THC ratio (100 mg/kg CBD, 1 mg/kg THC). Rescued light aversion, resting time in darkness, zone transitions. Partially rescued squint (spontaneous pain). Open field confirmed no anxiety confound.
How the study worked
Preclinical study administering 100:1 CBD:THC ratio intraperitoneally 60 minutes before intracerebroventricular CGRP injection in CD1 mice, measuring photophobia (light/dark assay), motility, and spontaneous pain (automated squint assay).
What this study cannot tell us
Mouse migraine model using direct CGRP injection doesn't replicate human migraine triggers. 100:1 ratio at these doses may not translate to human dosing. Only pretreatment, not acute treatment, was tested.
How to read the evidence
Well-designed preclinical study with multiple behavioral endpoints and appropriate controls, but mouse model and pretreatment-only design limit clinical translation.
When this study was published
Recent study providing mechanistic support for cannabinoid-based migraine treatment at a specific CBD:THC ratio.
The bigger picture
Migraine affects over 1 billion people worldwide. Many patients report cannabis helps, but clinical evidence is sparse. This mechanistic study supports the biological plausibility of cannabinoid-based migraine treatment by targeting the CGRP pathway.
Questions still open
- Would this CBD:THC ratio be effective as an acute migraine treatment in humans? How does the cannabinoid mechanism interact with CGRP-targeted antibody medications?
Common questions
Can cannabis help with migraines?
Why a 100:1 CBD to THC ratio?
Read the original research
Cannabinoids rescue migraine symptoms caused by central CGRP administration in mice.
Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache, 45(11), 3331024251392103
Citation
Zorrilla, Erik; Duong, Thomas L; Piña, Cassandra L; Russo, Andrew F. (2025). Cannabinoids rescue migraine symptoms caused by central CGRP administration in mice.. Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache, 45(11), 3331024251392103. https://doi.org/10.1177/03331024251392103
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