Adolescent Dabbing Case Shows How High-Potency Cannabis May Speed Up Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
A case of severe cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in an adolescent using high-potency cannabis products like dabs and THC edibles suggests that stronger products may cause this condition to develop faster and in younger users.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
An anxious, dehydrated teenager arrived at the emergency department with uncontrollable vomiting, weight loss, and abdominal pain. He reported that bathing and drinking large amounts of water were the only things that helped. He initially admitted only to social marijuana use.
Multiple medications failed to control his symptoms, including benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, and anti-nausea drugs. After extensive medical testing found no other cause, the patient was referred to psychiatric care. Only under more detailed questioning did the full picture emerge: prior chemical dependency treatment, drug-related legal charges, and heavy daily use including dabbing, THC candy, and smoking several grams per day.
The authors warn that with the rise of high-potency products like concentrates and edibles, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is likely to appear more frequently, in younger patients, and with shorter use histories than historically expected.
Key Numbers
Patient used multiple high-potency products daily including dabs, THC candy, and several grams of smoked cannabis. Multiple medication classes (benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antiemetics) failed to control symptoms. Historical CHS typically required over one year of heavy daily use.
How They Did This
Case report of a single adolescent patient presenting to an emergency department. Clinical course, diagnostic workup, and treatment attempts are described. The diagnosis of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome was made after extensive testing ruled out other causes.
Why This Research Matters
This case illustrates two important trends: the diagnostic challenge cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome poses (especially when patients underreport use), and the emerging concern that today's high-potency products may accelerate the condition's onset. Historically, CHS required over a year of heavy daily use. Products like dabs may compress that timeline.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis products grow stronger and more varied, the clinical landscape is shifting. Emergency departments and primary care providers need to have high suspicion for CHS, especially in young patients with unexplained vomiting. The financial and medical cost of extensive diagnostic workups before reaching this diagnosis is significant.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report with limited generalizability. The exact duration and quantity of the patient's cannabis use could not be precisely documented. The mechanisms by which high-potency products might accelerate CHS remain speculative.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is there a THC dose threshold that triggers cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
- ?Does the route of administration (dabbing vs. smoking vs. edibles) affect CHS risk independently of total THC consumed?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- High-potency products like dabs may speed up CHS onset in younger users
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report providing clinical illustration but no statistical evidence. Useful for generating hypotheses about potency and CHS risk.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2016. Dabbing and high-potency concentrates have become significantly more common since.
- Original Title:
- Case Report of Intractable Vomiting and Abdominal Pain Related to Heavy Daily Cannabis Use.
- Published In:
- South Dakota medicine : the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, No, 60-63 (2016)
- Authors:
- Gammeter, William Bryce, Duke, Kyle A, Soundy, Timothy J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01160
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
CHS is a condition in heavy cannabis users characterized by severe cyclic vomiting, abdominal pain, and relief from hot bathing. It resolves when cannabis use stops.
Do dabs increase the risk of CHS?
This case and the authors' clinical experience suggest that high-potency products like dabs may cause CHS to develop faster and in younger users than traditional cannabis smoking.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01160APA
Gammeter, William Bryce; Duke, Kyle A; Soundy, Timothy J. (2016). Case Report of Intractable Vomiting and Abdominal Pain Related to Heavy Daily Cannabis Use.. South Dakota medicine : the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, No, 60-63.
MLA
Gammeter, William Bryce, et al. "Case Report of Intractable Vomiting and Abdominal Pain Related to Heavy Daily Cannabis Use.." South Dakota medicine : the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, 2016.
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Case Report of Intractable Vomiting and Abdominal Pain Relat..." RTHC-01160. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gammeter-2016-case-report-of-intractable
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.