A new study by California researchers is raising concerns of a possible link between cannabis vaping and a rare disorder called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, that can leave users violently vomiting for days.
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The researchers found that people who used electronic vape cartridges developed CHS much faster than people who smoked marijuana or used edibles. Megan Mbengue, one of the study’s authors, called the findings combined with increasing vape usage “a massive public health concern.”
“According to our recent study findings, those who utilize vapes alone are hitting it more often throughout the day and developing CHS symptoms sooner than those who smoke—by YEARS,” Mbengue said in a LinkedIn post.
“This is just an association that we saw. We certainly can’t say anything definitive,” Peterson told SFGATE. “It’s just something we noticed that people who exclusively vaped developed CHS in a shorter timeline.”
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CHS is a new and poorly understood syndrome that afflicts regular cannabis users and was first reported in 2004 but wasn’t officially described with diagnostic criteria until 2016. The symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea and an extreme vomiting that has been described as “scromiting” because affected individuals sometimes scream while throwing up. People suffering from CHS often take hot water baths to relieve nausea. Ceasing cannabis use usually relieves the symptoms; however, at least three deaths have been linked to the syndrome.
Peterson said the study’s strong association between heavy daily use of cannabis, including THC-rich vape cartridges, provides strong evidence that THC itself is causing CHS. Some of the survey respondents were using cannabis for as long as a decade before developing the syndrome, and the survey found that 96.5 percent of people used cannabis products at least daily before they developed CHS, with nearly half saying they used cannabis six or more times a day. Peterson said CHS is likely caused by changes to our body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex neurological network, and that can result in someone developing the condition even after safely consuming cannabis for years.
Many cannabis users, though, deny that THC could be causing the nausea, and instead blame the vomiting on cannabis that is contaminated with pesticides or other toxins. Further complicating the issue is that some cannabis products have been shown to be helpful with treating nausea, making the development of CHS seem paradoxical to some people.
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But the study also included people who bought their cannabis from a variety of sources, including legal stores and unlicensed sources. Peterson said that variety of sources further refute the idea that CHS is caused by contaminated cannabis.
“If it is just tainted weed, then everyone who bought from that one dealer or that store would get sick, yet only some people are getting sick,” Peterson said.
Peterson said the study’s authors are not against cannabis and he is personally not trying to stop people from using vape cartridges. Instead, he wants to help better inform cannabis users so they can make better decisions.
“It’s a little bit demeaning to tell someone how they should use this plant,” Peterson said. “But if we teach people that this happens and there’s science behind it, then we can help more people.”
*This article first appeared on SFGATE. GreenState and SFGATE are owned by the same parent company but operate independent newsrooms. This article is reposted with permission.
