Mysterious marijuana-linked vomiting disorder gets official WHO code as ER cases jump
- Breathe Free USA
- Dec 30, 2025
- 1 min read
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) “is a dangerous and sometimes deadly syndrome that, according to the National Institutes of Health, affects chronic cannabis users, causing severe nausea, repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight loss and, in rare cases, heart rhythm problems, seizures, kidney failure and death.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) added CHS to its diagnostic manual on October 1, 2025. The update was also adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now medical professionals will be able to track and study the condition, rather than lumping it in with other vomiting or gastrointestinal conditions.
CHS-related ER visits increased 650% during the Covid pandemic compared to 2016 numbers and have remained high ever since.
CHS has been challenging to diagnose due to it mimicking other conditions, such as food poisoning; a diagnostic code should make it easier to identify.
The only surefire cure for CHS is stopping all cannabis use.
Author: Deirdre Bardolf
