Research into a medical cannabis has been growing at steady pace globally over the past five years, including in the UK. Since the country legalised for medical prescriptions in 2018, the field has opened up for easier access to this once prohibited plant. There are now thousands of studies on the subject every year. But with this much information coming in every month, it can sometimes be hard to keep up with everything. So what are some of the most interesting pieces of research in recent months?
This article will look at three studies from late 2025 and early 2026 that show cannabis is a promising treatment for various conditions. From small scale studies on micro dosing to longer-term randomised control trials of vaped cannabis to a meta study that analysed existing literature on the subject – these are three of the most interesting pieces of recent medical cannabis research you should know about.
Cannabis for Migraines Study Very Positive
Late in December 2025, a very interesting new study was published in the American scientific publication Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. One common criticism of medical cannabis research in the UK, a position held by NHS medicines regulator the National Institute for Healthcare Excellence (NICE), is that there is a lack of randomised control trials (RCTs) where medical cannabis is tested in a clinical setting, for a specific condition and measured against some patients taking placebos.
This new study at the University of California San Diego aimed to change that. Specifically, looking at cannabis as a treatment for migraines. Researchers, including several Harvard graduates, tested 92 people (majority female) who were diagnosed with persistent severe migraines.
The cohort was split into four groups, who treated their migraines by vaping:
- a THC dominant strain of medical flower
- a CBD dominant strain
- a hybrid balanced strain
- a specially-bred placebo non-psychoactive cannabis flower
Participants recorded pain outcomes at onset of a migraine, two hours after treatment, 24 hours after and 48 hours after. The study showed that all three medical treatments were superior to the placebo. 35% of patients saw complete relief from their pain compared to just 16% with the placebo. 67% saw some pain relief after two hours, compared to 45% with the placebo.
The balanced strain was the most effective, including prolonged relief from pain after 24 hours. The THC and CBD dominant strains both provided more initial pain relief than the placebo. However, over time they levelled out and were statistically insignificantly more effective than no treatment (placebo) over 24 hours.
The successful but varying results of this study depending on the strain of cannabis, demonstrates that a common question like “what is the best medical cannabis in the UK” has no one clear answer for everyone. Resources for potential patients like comparison sites where experts and patients review different strains, clinics and methods of treatment, are therefore an essential tool for anyone interested in potentially starting with medical cannabis for themselves.
“Reverse Spin” Bias Evident in Medical Cannabis Research Says Meta Study
A new paper in the journal Research Integrity and Peer Review from January 2025 has found systematic evidence of biased conclusions into studies on medical cannabis for pain relief.
The Italian university team studies 29 recent European-led research papers into medical cannabis for chronic and/or acute pain. They found that 10 of these studies concluded the effects were either inconclusive or even negative – despite contrary evidence being presented throughout the papers themselves.
Some of the studies described their own evidence as “inconsistent” or “low quality” – despite the authors being in charge of setting up the research. The team also found that some study’s conclusions referenced risks or harms of medical cannabis treatment as a reason for not making any policy recommendations based their positive clinical data – but they did not cite any particular study or evidence for that claim.
The researchers, and other analysts and journalists who have since looked through their study, concluded that this could be evidence of “spin bias”. This where scientists and researchers frame significant results as non-meaningful due to preconceived notions or to avoid appearing controversial.
Microdosing Medical Cannabis Could Slow Alzheimer’s
Although the smallest study on the list, this is an interesting one. A study from Brazil recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found positive effects for Alzheimer’s patients after dosing 0.3mg of THC and CBD daily – a non-psychoactive dose.
This study is a rare example of microdosing medical cannabis. The general consensus is that this low a dose will have little or no therapeutic effect. However, Andreas Zimmer and Andras Bilkei-Gorzo thought differently. In 2017, they tested low dose THC in elderly mice and found signs of cognitive restoration. They then tried the same thing with a single elderly human patient, and also saw significant cognitive improvement over 22 months.
If you’re interested in microdosing CBD, you can do so totally legally in the UK via products bought online or on the high street. However, being an open market means the competition is high and there are many options. Online tools like CBD oil reviews help prospective patients make the best choices, filtering through branding and hype to find the highest quality products.
After promising signs, researchers moved onto a larger, RCT study with 24 elderly patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Although this study, published in December 2025, did not find cognitive improvements across the board, the non-placebo group showed significantly less cognitive decline than the placebo cohort. After 22 weeks, the microdosing patients scored, on average, three points higher on a standardised Mini Mental State exam, than those treating with the placebo.
This trial shows clear promise, and further research into microdosing cannabis for degenerative brain diseases will no doubt be on the way.