Experience of migraine, its severity, and perceived efficacy of treatments among cannabis users.

OBJECTIVES: As the legal and cultural landscape surrounding cannabis use in the United States continues to evolve, more Americans are turning to cannabis to self-medicate a number of ailments, including migraines. The purpose of the present study was to examine patterns of cannabis use and its associated relief among migraineurs. DESIGN: Participants were N = 589 adult cannabis users living in states with full legal access. Using a cross-sectional design, participants completed an online survey assessing their cannabis use profiles, migraine experience, and self-reported relief from cannabis and non-cannabis treatments. RESULTS: 161 participants (27.3 %) reported experiencing migraines. 76.4 % of migraineurs (N = 123) endorsed using cannabis to treat their migraines. 69.9 % (N = 86) of migraineurs using cannabis for migraine relief also endorsed using non-cannabis products (e.g., over-the-counter pain medication, triptans) to treat their migraines. Although their subjective health was similar (p = .17), migraineurs who endorsed using cannabis to treat their migraines reported more severe migraines compared to those who did not (p = .02). Migraineurs reported significantly more migraine relief from cannabis compared to non-cannabis products, even after controlling for migraine severity (p = .03). The majority of migraineurs using cannabis to treat their migraines were not medical cardholders (65.0 %), suggesting that these individuals were self-medicating in lieu of physician guidance. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides insight into the prevalence of cannabis use for migraine relief in a sample of cannabis users, and suggests that these migraineurs experience a high level of migraine relief from cannabis. Future studies are needed to determine the cannabis forms, potencies, and dosages that are most effective at treating migraine pain.

Association of Naturalistic Administration of Cannabis Flower and Concentrates With Intoxication and Impairment.

Importance: The rapidly growing legal cannabis market includes new and highly potent products, the effects of which, to our knowledge, have not previously been examined in biobehavioral research studies because of federal restrictions on cannabis research. Objective: To use federally compatible, observational methods to study high-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) legal market forms of cannabis. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study with a between-groups design that was conducted in a community and university setting, cannabis flower users and concentrate users were randomly assigned to higher- vs lower-THC products within user groups. Participants completed a baseline and an experimental mobile laboratory assessment that included 3 points: before, immediately after, and 1 hour after ad libitum legal market flower and concentrate use. Of the 133 individuals enrolled and assessed, 55 regular flower cannabis users (41.4%) and 66 regular concentrate cannabis users (49.6%) complied with the study's cannabis use instructions and had complete data across primary outcomes. Exposures: Flower users were randomly assigned to use either 16% or 24% THC flower and concentrate users were randomly assigned to use either 70% or 90% THC concentrate that they purchased from a dispensary. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome measures included plasma cannabinoids, subjective drug intoxication, and neurobehavioral tasks testing attention, memory, inhibitory control, and balance. Results: A total of 121 participants completed the study for analysis: 55 flower users (mean [SD] age, 28.8 [8.1] years; 25 women [46%]) and 66 concentrate users (mean [SD] age, 28.3 [10.4] years; 30 women [45%]). Concentrate users compared with flower users exhibited higher plasma THC levels and 11-hydroxyΔ9-THC (THC's active metabolite) across all points. After ad libitum cannabis administration, mean plasma THC levels were 0.32 (SE = 0.43) µg/mL in concentrate users (to convert to millimoles per liter, multiply by 3.18) and 0.14 (SE = 0.16) µg/mL in flower users. Most neurobehavioral measures were not altered by short-term cannabis consumption. However, delayed verbal memory (F1,203 = 32.31; P < .001) and balance function (F1,203 = 18.88; P < .001) were impaired after use. Differing outcomes for the type of product (flower vs concentrate) or potency within products were not observed. Conclusions and Relevance: This study provides information about the association of pharmacological and neurobehavioral outcomes with legal market cannabis. Short-term use of concentrates was associated with higher levels of THC exposure. Across forms of cannabis and potencies, users' domains of verbal memory and proprioception-focused postural stability were primarily associated with THC administration.

Comparative distribution of central neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the prairie (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow (M. pennsylvanicus) vole.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been implicated as a modulator of social behavior, often in a species-specific manner. Comparative studies of closely related vole species are particularly useful for identifying neural systems involved in social behaviors in both voles and humans. In the present study, immunohistochemistry was performed to compare NPY-like immunoreactivity (-ir) in brain tissue of the socially monogamous prairie vole and non-monogamous meadow vole. Species differences in NPY-ir were observed in a number of regions including the cortex, extended amygdala, septal area, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and intergeniculate leaf. Meadow voles had higher NPY-ir in all these regions as compared to prairie voles. No differences were observed in the striatum or hippocampus. The extended amygdala and lateral septum are regions that play a key role in regulation of monogamous behaviors such as pair bonding and paternal care. The present study suggests NPY in these regions may be an additional modulator of these species-specific social behaviors. Meadow voles had moderately higher NPY-ir in a number of hypothalamic regions, especially in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Meadow voles also had much higher levels of NPY-ir in the intergeniculate leaflet, another key region in the regulation of circadian rhythms. Overall, species differences in NPY-ir were observed in a number of brain regions implicated in emotion, stress, circadian, and social behaviors. These findings provide additional support for a role for the NPY system in species-typical social behaviors.