Overview
- Clinicians describe cannabis hyperemesis syndrome as cyclical bouts of severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain that some patients briefly ease with very hot showers.
- The United States adopted ICD code R11.16 for CHS on October 1, 2025, following WHO action, enabling standardized diagnosis and better surveillance.
- National research reports sharp increases in emergency visits, including a more than tenfold rise among adolescents from 2016 to 2023 and a pandemic‑era surge among adults 18 to 35 that stayed elevated.
- A large study of 2016–2022 ED data found suspected CHS visits rose from about 4 to 22 per 100,000 ED visits, indicating growth from a low baseline.
- Acute care typically involves anti‑nausea drugs and IV fluids, but experts say stopping all cannabis use is the only reliable way to resolve the condition, as causes remain unclear and may involve higher THC exposure or other factors.