The United States has witnessed a significant jump in frequent marijuana users presenting to hospitals with a severe nausea and vomiting condition, according to a report released on Thursday.
The abruptness and sustained magnitude of this increase is largely attributed to the condition receiving its own dedicated diagnosis code last autumn, reports AP.
This development is providing a more accurate picture of what was previously an under-recognised problem, wrote the authors of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
Diagnoses of the condition, known as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, in hospital emergency departments rose by 16 per cent from last October to May of this year, federal researchers found.
The syndrome is typically seen in frequent marijuana users, particularly smokers, and is characterised by recurring nausea, uncontrollable vomiting, and excruciating abdominal pain.
Past research suggests that an estimated 2.75 million Americans suffer from the syndrome annually, and hospital emergency department visits have been climbing as daily recreational marijuana use increases.
However, experts have also noted that the syndrome has likely been underdiagnosed. This is possibly because medical doctors may not have understood their patients’ marijuana use, or because they attributed the suffering to a different illness.
Previously, tracking the syndrome depended on combining separate diagnostic codes for nausea and vomiting with those for cannabis use. To streamline the diagnosis, a new singular code was introduced last October.
For the new study, researchers at the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control examined emergency department data from approximately 7,500 healthcare facilities across the country through May.
They found that from January 2023 through the summer of 2025, almost 200,000 syndrome-related visits were made to emergency departments.
The findings point to a pressing need to raise awareness about the syndrome, particularly among teens and young adults.
The report also highlights a need for further research, including into how newer high-potency THC and hemp-derived products — some of which come in the form of vapes, drinks, and gummies — are being used by and affecting younger Americans.
