The troublesome sides of cannabis are playing out while the medical field plays catch-up (Image credit: Yarphoto / Getty Images)
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
published 5 November 2024
As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the country, doctors are sounding the alarm about the potential health risks of the quickly changing drug. One rare condition is sending chronic marijuana users to emergency rooms. Researchers are attempting to spread awareness about that condition, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), and the need for more government oversight in the legal cannabis industry. What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
A rare but severe condition, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is caused by heavy cannabis use and is "marked by nausea, vomiting and pain," said The New York Times . It can lead in some cases to extreme dehydration, seizures, kidney failure and cardiac arrest. In rare cases, it can lead to death. The syndrome was first documented in 2004.
The onset of CHS tends to affect people "after years of using marijuana many times a week," per the American College of Gastroenterology . The initial symptoms include nausea, belly pain and persistent vomiting. After about 10 to 12 years of chronic marijuana use , "patients begin to have a strong feeling of sickness, throwing up and belly pain." Some medical professionals refer to symptoms of CHS as "scromiting," a term that combines "vomiting" and "screaming," said the Cleveland Clinic . Some patients scream while they vomit due to the intense belly pain. Subscribe to The Week
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From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up A telltale sign of CHS is that heat often temporarily relieves the condition’s symptoms. Hundreds of people told the Times that they spent hours in hot baths and showers. Some were even "burned by scalding water," and one was injured when "in desperation, he pressed his body against a hot car," the outlet […]
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a rare but troubling health risk for cannabis users
