1,052-Person Survey Reveals Heavy Burden of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome | Research

The takeaway

A large survey of people with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome found high rates of ER visits, hospitalizations, and links to heavy daily use starting in adolescence.

Heavy cannabis users, emergency medicine providers, addiction counselors

1,052 CHS sufferers reported high ER utilization and hospitalizations

What the researchers found

Among 1,052 self-reported CHS sufferers, the majority reported frequent cannabis use and significant healthcare utilization including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Heavy daily use and adolescent-onset use were associated with more frequent CHS episodes.

Why it matters

CHS is still widely underrecognized by both users and clinicians. This large survey quantifies the real-world burden and identifies heavy use and early initiation as key risk factors.

The numbers in context

1,052 participants surveyed. Majority reported frequent cannabis use, significant ER visits and hospitalizations. Heavy daily use and adolescent onset linked to more episodes.

How the study worked

Internet-based survey of 1,052 individuals from an online CHS support group, assessing cannabis use patterns, episode frequency, and healthcare utilization.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-selected online support group sample likely skews toward more severe cases. Self-reported CHS diagnosis without medical verification. Cannot establish causal direction between use patterns and CHS.

How to read the evidence

Large sample provides useful descriptive data, but self-selected online cohort and lack of medical verification limit generalizability.

When this study was published

2025 survey capturing current CHS burden in an online support community.

The bigger picture

As cannabis potency and availability increase, CHS is becoming more common. It remains frequently misdiagnosed, leading to repeated costly ER visits before correct identification.

Questions still open

What is the true population prevalence of CHS among heavy cannabis users? Can early intervention reduce the cycle of repeated ER visits? Is there a dose threshold that triggers CHS?

Common questions

What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?

CHS causes recurrent severe vomiting and abdominal pain in people who use cannabis heavily over long periods. It often leads to repeated ER visits before being correctly diagnosed.

Who is most at risk for CHS?

This survey found heavy daily cannabis users and those who started using in adolescence had more frequent CHS episodes, suggesting both dose and early initiation matter.

Read the original research

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Is Associated With High Disease Burden: An Internet-Based Survey.

Annals of emergency medicine, 85(6), 521-525

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Meltzer, Andrew C; Morrison, Callen; Loganathan, Aditya; Shahamatdar, Soroush; Moon, Alice; Heidish, Ryan; Makutonin, Michael; Ma, Yan; Li, Runjia; Cooper, Ziva D. (2025). Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Is Associated With High Disease Burden: An Internet-Based Survey.. Annals of emergency medicine, 85(6), 521-525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2025.01.008