Subtle Toxins: How Cannabis Turns into a Digestive Nightmare

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed a sharp increase in emergency department visits due to severe, uncontrollable nausea and vomiting among cannabis users.

This condition is medically known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, while popularly referred to as "cannabis-induced projectile vomiting," a term blending "scream" and "vomit" to reflect the intense pain patients endure during acute episodes.

Severe symptoms lasting days

The syndrome’s symptoms go beyond fleeting nausea, often accompanied by severe, piercing abdominal pain. Dr. Elizabeth Borman, professor of internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Illinois, explained that an acute vomiting episode can last up to seven consecutive days.

Although the syndrome is typically linked to excessive use, there is no specific daily dosage that directly causes it; individual responses vary based on body type and frequency of use.

How does "cannabis" disrupt balance within the body?

Dr. Borman explained the biological mechanism of the illness, noting that cannabinoid receptors are present in both the brain and the digestive system. While light use may temporarily stimulate appetite and reduce nausea, long-term consumption leads to functional disruption in gastrointestinal receptors.

This disruption causes the digestive system to respond abnormally and inversely, transforming cannabis’s calming effect into chronic nausea followed by severe, recurring vomiting.

Young adults and "edibles" at highest risk

Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that individuals aged 15 to 24—primarily young adults and adolescents—were the most frequent visitors to emergency departments due to this syndrome between October 2025 and May 2026.

Dr. Borman warned that edible cannabis products and electronic vaporizers (vapes) are the primary culprits behind worsening cases, as users often take excessive doses of edibles due to the delayed onset of effects compared to traditional smoking, leading them to consume multiple times the intended amount and triggering acute intoxication episodes.