SAFE GC Coalition: Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Increasing

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a condition caused by long-term, heavy cannabis use, characterized by cycles of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. A hallmark symptom is temporary relief from vomiting through hot showers or baths. The only definitive, long-term treatment is complete cessation of cannabis use.

More and more states have legalized marijuana in some form in recent years. The federal government also appears poised to reschedule marijuana following a December executive order from President Trump. In the interim, health care providers across the country have reported spikes in cases of a painful, sometimes debilitating, CHS.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a 2025 study found that 4.4 out of 100,000 emergency department visits were diagnosed as CHS in 2016. In 2020, the rate jumped to 33.1 per 100,000 visits before dropping in 2022 to 22.3 per 100,000. Another study suggests more than 2.75 million Americans may have CHS symptoms.

In Virginia, emergency department visits for CHS have jumped almost 29% since 2020. Significant spikes have also been reported in Massachusetts, Northern California, and parts of North Carolina. An official at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, said in June that patients with CHS are seen “every week, if not every day.”

The World Health Organization added CHS to its diagnostic manual in October. The designation makes it easier for health care providers to report the specific diagnosis for patients, rather than an overview of their symptoms.

Patients may be misdiagnosed as having another condition, like cyclic vomiting syndrome, according to a 2025 study. An increase in correct diagnoses of CHS may be linked to the rise in cases in recent years, researchers noted. It is not clear how marijuana use causes CHS, Cedars Sinai said it may be brought on by receptors in the brain no longer responding to marijuana as they had before.

Who has developed cases of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?

A George Washington University study of more than 1,000 people who reported experiencing CHS found that over 40% said they used marijuana more than five times a day. Roughly the same proportion of people said they regularly used marijuana for more than five years before experiencing CHS.

A study out of Massachusetts found that younger adults, ages 18 to 34, could be at a higher risk of experiencing CHS, as could Hispanic and Black individuals. A similar 2025 study of nationwide data found CHS was most common among those ages 16 to 34 and corresponded with heavier cannabis use. The same study found CHS was “notably more prevalent in the South,” but that those who reported the highest rates of cannabis use were in states that have legalized recreational cannabis, which are primarily in other regions.

It’s also possible that a chronic user never develops CHS, health experts say, while other patients reported experiencing the condition after only a few years of marijuana use.

Treating CHS can include options like an IV of fluids to prevent dehydration, medication to decrease vomiting and pain, a prescription for benzodiazepines “that help calm you down,” or “frequent hot showers,” Cedars Sinai outlines.

While the symptoms can be treated, stopping cannabis use has been the only known way to stop episodes, Andrew Meltzer, professor of emergency medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine & Health Sciences and lead author of an aforementioned study, explained last year.

SAFE is the only alcohol and substance use prevention agency in Glen Cove whose mission is to eliminate alcohol and substance use in Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned about cannabis use- especially in youth as their brains are developing. The Coalition is conducting a prevention awareness campaign entitled “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE; Underage Marijuana Use,” to educate and update the community regarding marijuana use and its negative consequences. To learn more aboutthe SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalitionor visit SAFE’s website to learn more about Cannabis/Marijuana useat www.safeglencove.org.