Cannabis Use Was Independently Linked to More ER Visits and Hospitalizations in Gastroparesis Patients | Research

The takeaway

Among 406 patients with gastroparesis symptoms, cannabis use was independently associated with more emergency department visits and hospitalizations, alongside factors like younger age, lower income, and worse nausea.

People with gastroparesis who use cannabis, gastroenterologists, researchers studying cannabis and GI disorders

Cannabis use independently predicted more ER visits and hospitalizations

What the researchers found

Cannabis use was independently associated with both ED visits and hospitalizations in gastroparesis patients, even after controlling for other factors. Other independent predictors included younger age, Black race, lower income, higher gastric retention, antiemetic use, jejunostomy tube presence, and higher nausea/vomiting scores. Hospitalizations were additionally linked to diabetic etiology and depression.

Why it matters

Cannabis is commonly used by gastroparesis patients, sometimes for symptom relief. The finding that cannabis use is associated with more, not fewer, emergency visits and hospitalizations challenges the assumption that self-medication with cannabis reduces healthcare utilization in this population.

The numbers in context

N=406 patients, 72.4% with delayed gastric emptying (33% diabetic, 61% idiopathic). 39% had prior ED visits. 23% had hospitalizations. Top hospitalization reasons: nausea 83%, vomiting 78%, abdominal pain 70%, dehydration 59%. Cannabis use independently predicted both ED visits and hospitalizations.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional analysis of 406 patients with gastroparesis symptoms who underwent gastric emptying scintigraphy and completed questionnaires on symptoms, mental health, quality of life, and healthcare utilization over the prior year.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether cannabis use causes more healthcare utilization or whether sicker patients are more likely to use cannabis. Self-reported cannabis use. Cannot distinguish between different cannabis products or consumption methods. Referral center population may not represent all gastroparesis patients.

How to read the evidence

Moderate evidence from a well-characterized clinical cohort, though limited by cross-sectional design and inability to determine causation.

When this study was published

2025 study from a registered clinical trial cohort (NCT01696747).

The bigger picture

The relationship between cannabis and gastroparesis is complex. Cannabis can cause cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which mimics gastroparesis symptoms, and chronic use may worsen gastric motility. This study adds evidence that cannabis use in this patient population is associated with worse, not better, healthcare outcomes.

Questions still open

Are gastroparesis patients using cannabis for symptom relief and still needing emergency care, or is cannabis use worsening their condition? How many of these patients actually have cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome? Would CBD-only products have the same association?

Common questions

Can cannabis help gastroparesis?

In this study, cannabis use among gastroparesis patients was associated with more emergency visits and hospitalizations, not fewer. The cross-sectional design cannot determine causation, but the findings do not support cannabis as an effective self-treatment for gastroparesis.

What is the link between cannabis and stomach problems?

Cannabis has complex effects on the digestive system. While some patients use it for nausea relief, chronic use can cause cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition of severe cyclical vomiting. This study found that cannabis-using gastroparesis patients had worse healthcare utilization outcomes.

Read the original research

Characterization of Patients With Symptoms of Gastroparesis Having Frequent Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations.

Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 23(11), 2023-2038

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Parkman, Henry P; Xin, Yuchen; Wilson, Laura A; Burton-Murray, Helen; McCallum, Richard W; Sarosiek, Irene; Moshiree, Baha; Koch, Kenneth L; Bulat, Robert S; Grover, Madhusudan; Farrugia, Gianrico; Chumpitazi, Bruno P; Shulman, Robert J; Miriel, Laura A; Tonascia, James; Pasricha, Pankaj J; Kuo, Braden; Abell, Thomas L. (2025). Characterization of Patients With Symptoms of Gastroparesis Having Frequent Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations.. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 23(11), 2023-2038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2025.01.033