A migraine is like a headache on steroids that makes us incapable of functioning properly in our day-to-day lives. Thus, it’s no wonder sufferers are always on the lookout for the next best painkiller that would let them ease the throbbing sensations and other uncomfortable symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, and numbness. Now, natural alternatives are also a viable option, with the best CBD oil for migraines being just within reach.
But what is the secret connection between migraines and this oh-so-popular cannabis compound? Could CBD only ease the symptoms or perhaps have a more profound effect — deep enough to actually prevent the condition? Today, we discuss this and other crucial aspects of using CBD to alleviate migraine symptoms. Let’s start on a positive note by discussing brands that have recognized the cannabinoid’s appeal and benefits, and are now helping users enjoy pain-free, blissful lives.
The Best CBD Oil for Migraines: Top 6 Brands in 2021
1. Royal CBD
For most users, finding the best CBD oil for migraines isn’t a challenge at all — not when there are trustworthy brands like Royal CBD to choose from. This brand has been nominated as the best CBD Oil many times from trusted online publications like Herald Net and Seattle Weekly. The company, which is one of the pioneers of the industry, boasts a small but valuable selection of products. Among them is its incredible full-spectrum CBD oil, available in four different potency options: 250, 500, 1000, and 2500 mg.
Opting for a full-spectrum oil may prove more worthwhile for migraine sufferers, as a little bit of this oil goes a long way, especially if you go for the highest potency. That one would provide you with 83 mg of CBD per serving, which ought to ease migraine symptoms dramatically.
Still, the selling points of Royal CBD don’t boil down to potency only: we are also pretty impressed with the company’s transparency and eagerness to provide only quality products. The brand has invested in expensive equipment to use CO2 extraction and works with Colorado-grown organic hemp. On top of that, it tests its products in third-party labs to ensure potency and purity are up to standard.
Things We Love About the Royal CBD Oil:
- Good range of potency options
- Available in a few flavors
- Quality production using top-of-the-line techniques and resources
- Third-party lab tested
Things We Don’t Love About the Royal CBD Oil:
- There are no THC-free oils available
- The highest potency option can be ordered in one flavor only (natural)
2. Gold Bee
The safety of the ingredients found in CBD oil is a primary concern for some users, so going the organic route may be the only way for them to find the best CBD oil for migraines. Fortunately, brands like Gold Bee offer natural alternatives that don’t involve any artificial ingredients but rely on what nature has given us.
Don’t think for a second, though, that this might mean Gold Bee’s oil isn’t as effective as some of its competitors’. Eager to please its audience, the company has managed to produce a potent full-spectrum oil (1200 mg) to ensure satisfying results for both novice and veteran users. It even has two flavors available: kiwi and natural.
Still, the quality of the production is what drew us to this brand in the first place. The company emphasizes the importance of quality resources, so it uses only organic hemp cultivated in nutrient-rich soil. Furthermore, it opts for CO2 extraction, a costly process that yields the purest extracts, and tests its products in third-party labs to ensure the potency and safety of the products are up to standard.
Things We Love About the Gold Bee Oil:
- Organic hemp and CO2 extraction
- Full-spectrum oil that provides the entourage effect
- The company tests its products for potency and purity
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Things We Don’t Love About the Gold Bee Oil:
- No THC-free options
3. CBDistillery
Even though full-spectrum oils are arguably the best option since they provide us with that famous entourage effect, for some people, THC-free products are the only way to go. Fortunately, CBDistillery caters to everyone — the company produces both full-spectrum and THC-free products so that all can enjoy them.
Of course, this sets the brand apart from its competitors, as it shows it wants to offer everyone a chance to enjoy the many qualities of CBD without worrying about THC all the time. But the advantages of opting for CBDistillery don’t end there; the company also pays close attention to quality, ensuring it uses CO2 extraction and non-GMO industrial hemp (cultivated using natural farming practices). It tests all products in third-party labs too. The test results are easy to access as well — all we have to do is scan the QR code found on the label.
The company also has a fantastic range of potency options to offer its customers. We can choose from four strengths when ordering full-spectrum oils (500, 1000, 2500, and 5000 mg). THC-free oils (broad-spectrum and CBD isolates) come in three strengths: 500, 1000, and 2500 mg. Overall, if you’re after the best CBD oil for migraines but want to test out all the variants (even the THC-free ones) — this is the brand for you!
Things We Love About the CBDistillery Oil:
- Both full-spectrum and THC-free oils available
- Sophisticated CO2 extraction and naturally grown hemp
- A fantastic range of both low and high potency options
- Third-party lab tested
Things We Don’t Love About the CBDistillery Oil:
- The oils don’t come in any additional flavors
4. Hemp Bombs
With quirky packaging and a knack for guessing which flavors its customers would love to taste, Hemp Bombs is one of the most recognizable CBD brands and a true leader when it comes to innovation. Naturally, it seems that the company’s main product is a viable contender for the title of the best CBD oil for migraines for multiple reasons.
One of those is that the oil comes in an incredible range of potency options, starting at 125 mg and going all the way up to 5000 mg. Granted, the strongest oils may cost a pretty penny, but it’s fantastic that there are so many choices for both beginner and veteran users.
Another reason users love Hemp Bombs is the number of flavors the oils come in. The brand has gone the extra mile to up the ante and make its products oh-so-mouthwatering.
The only trouble is that the company doesn’t deal with full-spectrum oils. It mainly uses pure CBD extracts, so higher doses may be a given as we cannot take advantage of the entourage effect in that case.
Things We Love About the Hemp Bombs Oil:
- A great range of potency options
- Quality production using domestically grown hemp
- A number of flavors to choose from
- Third-party lab tested
Things We Don’t Love About the Hemp Bombs Oil:
- No entourage effect (no full-spectrum oils)
- The flavors aren’t always natural
5. NuLeaf Naturals
“Quality production” might as well be a synonym for NuLeaf Naturals, so it’s no wonder many believe the brand to have the best CBD oil for migraines. The rave reviews speak volumes about the potential results, and that’s what intrigued us the most — what could this brand be doing differently from the rest?
Well, for one, it opts for organic hemp to ensure its products are as pure and potent as possible. The hemp is grown in Colorado and harvested once it is in peak perfection, which seems to play a role in determining the quality of the end product.
But the company’s efforts are most evident in the production: unlike its competitors, it uses both sub- and supercritical CO2 extraction. This gives it a huge advantage, as the whole process yields a potent blend that offers the full spectrum of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and other beneficial phytonutrients. The extract, in combination with organic virgin hemp seed oil, makes for a superbly potent and pure oil.
Things We Love About the NuLeaf Naturals Oil:
- Sophisticated production process
- Colorado-grown quality organic hemp
- Tested in independent labs
- It comes in five different bottle sizes
Things We Don’t Love About the NuLeaf Naturals Oil:
- More expensive than some other brands
- The potency is the same across all bottle sizes
- No THC-free options or additional flavors
6. CBDPure
Finally, those on a strict budget may opt for CBDPure while searching for the best CBD oil for migraines. Don’t be misled by the price, though — the company behind the oil is a reputable one that doesn’t leave anything to chance. Thus, third-party lab testing is a given, and the company even has a 90-day money-back guarantee in place too!
As for the oil quality, the fact the company uses hemp grown in Colorado and Washington already speaks volumes about it. Strangely enough, the price doesn’t reflect the quality of the production. The company uses CO2 extraction even though it’s the most expensive method. Thus, it offers potent and pure full-spectrum oils at a fraction of the price of its competitors. The only trouble, though, is the potency: we can only get 300, 600, and 1000 mg oils.
Things We Love About the CBDPure Oil:
- Superb production using superb-quality hemp and CO2 extraction
- 90-day satisfaction guarantee
- Solid potency range for milder symptoms
- Third-party lab tested
Things We Don’t Love About the CBDPure Oil:
- No THC-free options
- The highest potency is only 1000 mg
- No additional flavors
Migraines 101: Are They Just Stronger Headaches?
In its very essence, a migraine is a type of headache, but it often affects only one side of the head and comes at you in combination with a throbbing sensation. We can identify two main subcategories: the common and the classic migraine.
At first glance, “common” and “classic” seem like synonyms here, but the words are used to differentiate a regular (common) migraine that isn’t followed by aura from those that have aura as one of the main symptoms. In layman’s terms, aura refers to sensory disturbances like blind spots, flashes of light, shimmering spots and stars, and other vision problems. Other than that, these disturbances may come in the form of numbness, muscle weakness, and sleeping difficulty.
Right now, nearly one in every four households in the US have someone who suffers from migraines, which in and of itself is a daunting statistic. Fortunately, it seems that regular migraines (the ones that don’t come with aura) are more common.
Symptoms and Migraine Length
As a rule of thumb, migraines usually last about four hours. Some, however, may even cause pain for up to 72 hours if we don’t seek out treatment.
The symptoms may occur even before the headache and start wreaking havoc in our lives one or two days before the migraine onset. The first ones we might notice are food cravings, irritability, fatigue, neck stiffness, increased yawning, and depression. If we suffer from aura migraines, the aura occurs after these symptoms.
For most people, these symptoms, although terrible, are nothing compared to the pain stage. The pain may last for hours or days. In some cases, it may overlap or occur during the aura as well.
Other migraine symptoms to keep in mind include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pulsating or throbbing pain
- Dizziness
- Increased sensitivity to sounds and light
- Pain in one part of the head or in the temples
Probably the worst part of having migraines is that even when the pain subsides, the suffering isn’t over. A mild headache may persist for a while after the migraine is gone.
Could CBD Help With Migraines?
Nobody is truly eager to pump their body with medicine if it’s possible to avoid them altogether. Now, that could be one of the reasons people have been on the lookout for the best CBD oil for migraines these days.
CBD is a naturally occurring compound — a cannabinoid — found in the cannabis plant. Alongside THC, a substance we are all familiar with due to marijuana, it is one of the most frequently talked about cannabinoids due to the benefits various studies claim it has. However, its main advantage over its close cousin THC is the fact that it is not psychoactive.
The biggest question of all, of course, is how CBD, a compound found in the cannabis of all plants, could help us deal with migraine pain. As it turns out, it all ties into the endocannabinoid system.
The ECS is a biological system found in the body whose main job is to promote balance. Whenever one or more parts of the body aren’t working correctly, the ECS triggers a response to resolve the issues promptly. Thus, it regulates various biological processes, including appetite, sleep, mood, metabolism, and immune response.
This system is the bridge that connects CBD and pain, as the cannabinoid interacts with its receptors (CB1 and CB2). As a result, it helps the body use up the naturally occurring endocannabinoids more effectively. It does so by blocking an enzyme that would otherwise break them down in the body.
What Kind of Effect Does CBD Have on Migraines?
In terms of migraines, we face limited research, as there aren’t any conclusive studies on only CBD and migraines. However, multiple studies on pain and even some on the combined effects of THC and CBD have shown great promise:
- Research from 2010 dived into the inner workings of ECS and suggested that the system is involved in pain processing. Activating the system (by taking CBD, for example) could prove therapeutic as it would reduce the inflammatory and physiological pain components.
- A study from 2013 indicates that CBD may prevent the body from metabolizing an endocannabinoid called anandamide, whose job is to regulate pain. By doing so, it would allow the body to maintain higher levels of the compound, thus reducing pain (or, to be more precise, our ability to feel it).
- Another study from 2015 tackled inflammation and suggested that CBD could limit it. As a result, it would reduce pain and other related immune-system responses.
- A 2017 study on migraine prevention showed that cannabinoids like THC and CBD could help lessen acute pain, reducing it by 43.5%.
Choosing the Right CBD Brand: Factors to Keep in Mind
One of the most important things to know about CBD oil is that, despite its connection to cannabis, hemp-derived CBD is legal on a federal level in the US. However, the industrial hemp used for the extracts must meet a certain standard in terms of quality. It should also contain either no THC or less than 0.3%.
And that’s precisely one of the reasons it’s crucial to vet brands when looking for CBD products for sale. In case there’s more THC in the oil, that could show on a drug test. Therefore, before making a purchase, remember to check:
- Which hemp source and extraction method the company uses. Domestically grown crops are the safest bet, and so is supercritical CO2 extraction.
- Whether the lab test results are available to customers, either online or upon request.
- How potent the oil is. For milder symptoms, we could start with a lower-potency oil (100 to 250 mg of CBD). A 1000+ mg oil is a good choice if we’re experiencing excruciating migraines.
- The amount of THC in the oil. We can go for CBD isolate or broad-spectrum oils if we don’t want any THC in our system. Still, the entourage effect, courtesy of full-spectrum oils, means all compounds work in synergy and thus provide us with greater benefits. If we opt for those oils, however, we have to keep in mind the legal THC limit. Anything over 0.3% THC might do more harm than good, at least legally!
Final Thoughts on the Best CBD Oil for Migraines
Yes, it’s true that the research is limited when it comes to CBD and migraines. However, what we know so far suggests that the cannabinoid could be a viable alternative to popular painkillers and other medicines used to ease major migraine symptoms. And as luck would have it, finding the best CBD oil for migraines doesn’t have to be a challenge now. There are at least six brands that tick all the boxes in terms of quality, purity, and trustworthiness. Now it’s up to you to pick your favorite and start living a life where migraines aren’t anything but a mild nuisance!
