In this disaster-prone moment in time, many of us are having a hard time relaxing. Some have turned to a time-tested stress reliever to chill out — smoking weed. But besides the usual cannabis-related side effects — like laughing too much at a cup that fell on the floor or eating all the Cheez-Its — some are finding that smoking weed makes them feel incredibly sick to their stomach. The name for this weed-induced puking phenom is cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and it’s still pretty rare, but according to new research, cases are on the rise.
CHS isn’t new, but until recently, it was thought to be a fairly unusual condition, and a perplexing one since weed has historically been known to help ease nausea. The most common symptoms of CHS are nausea and vomiting — butt not just like a little throw up in your mouth; I’m talking uncontrollable, horror movie-style vom. A new study published last Friday in JAMA Network Open, though, found that between 2013 and 2018, there were over 800,000 cases of CHS. According to the research, instances of CHS reported in Colorado emergency rooms have increased by 29% in Colorado since weed was legalized in the state in 2014. Basically, this once uncommon illness is now pretty standard.
