Hospital visits from condition linked to frequent marijuana use on the rise, CDC study says

Key Points:

• Hospital emergency room visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, a condition causing severe nausea and vomiting in frequent marijuana users, increased by 16% from October 2022 to May 2023 following the introduction of a specific diagnosis code.
• The new diagnosis code, implemented last fall, has improved identification and reporting of the syndrome, which was previously underdiagnosed due to lack of awareness and coding challenges.
• Nearly 200,000 emergency visits related to the syndrome were recorded from January 2023 through summer 2025, with the largest increases among people aged 15 to 24, teenage girls and women, and Black Americans as well as American Indian and Alaska Natives.
• The rise in diagnoses among younger individuals was unexpected, highlighting concerns about early and chronic cannabis use and the impact of high-potency THC and hemp-derived products like vapes and edibles.
• The CDC report calls for increased awareness of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, especially among teens and young adults, and further research into how newer cannabis products affect younger populations.