If you\u2019re old enough to remember the public conversations around cannabis in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably recall just how heavy the stigma once was. For many years, marijuana was framed almost exclusively as a gateway drug \u2014 dangerous, destabilizing, and socially corrosive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While cannabis remains illegal in many parts of the world \u2014 and punishments in some countries are still severe \u2014 attitudes in the United States have shifted dramatically. Today, recreational cannabis is legal in 24 states, and medical marijuana is permitted in even more. Public opinion polls show that support for legalization has steadily climbed over the past two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not hard to imagine a future where cannabis is treated much like alcohol: regulated, normalized, and largely stripped of its taboo status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But normalization doesn\u2019t mean harmless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The effects of THC \u2014 the psychoactive compound in cannabis \u2014 are well documented. Users often report relaxation, euphoria, altered perception, and increased appetite. Others experience anxiety, paranoia, or heightened heart rate. In rare cases, heavy use has been associated with psychosis, especially in individuals predisposed to certain mental health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Less widely understood, however, is a condition known as Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) \u2014 a disorder that has been increasingly reported in emergency rooms across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past decade, hospitals have documented a surge in patients presenting with severe nausea, uncontrollable vomiting, and intense abdominal pain. The symptoms can be so extreme that medical staff coined a term to describe the phenomenon: \u201cscromiting\u201d \u2014 a combination of screaming and vomiting \u2014 because sufferers sometimes cry out from the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHS episodes typically occur within 24 hours of cannabis use and can last for several days. What makes the condition especially troubling is that traditional anti-nausea medications often fail to provide relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are currently no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and standard anti-nausea medications often don\u2019t work,\u201d said Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist, describing the challenges clinicians face when treating CHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patients frequently report cyclical episodes. One man was admitted to the emergency room four or five times within six months. He described a \u201cburning\u201d and \u201cagonizing\u201d pain centered in his abdomen, accompanied by relentless vomiting. Many CHS patients attempt to self-soothe with extremely hot showers \u2014 a behavior so common it\u2019s considered a hallmark of the condition. In his case, the pain was so severe that he required morphine for relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another individual compared the sensation to childbirth, calling it \u201csome of the worst physical pain I\u2019ve ever experienced in my life.\u201d During episodes, she said she found herself pleading for the pain to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Medical professionals emphasize that the only definitive treatment for CHS is cessation of cannabis use. Symptoms may subside temporarily, but if cannabis consumption continues, episodes often return \u2014 sometimes more severely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause the syndrome strikes intermittently, some cannabis users assume a recent episode was unrelated and continue using \u2014 only to become severely ill again,\u201d explained Dr. Beatriz Carlini, research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research suggests that early and prolonged cannabis use may increase the likelihood of developing CHS. A study from George Washington University surveying more than 1,000 CHS patients found strong associations between heavy cannabis use and repeated emergency room visits for severe vomiting episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notably, adolescent cases have risen sharply. From 2016 to 2023, CHS-related cases among young people reportedly increased more than tenfold. Interestingly, while overall CHS cases tend to be more common in states where cannabis is legal \u2014 likely reflecting higher usage rates \u2014 the fastest growth in adolescent cases has occurred in states where recreational cannabis remains illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This pattern has prompted ongoing discussion among researchers about access, regulation, product potency, and youth education. Modern cannabis products often contain far higher concentrations of THC than those available decades ago, which may also play a role in emerging health patterns.Read More Below<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019re old enough to remember the public conversations around cannabis in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably recall just how heavy the stigma once was. For many years, marijuana was framed almost exclusively...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=697"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":698,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697\/revisions\/698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystori.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}