For example, THC has two main metabolites (11-hydroxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol or 11-OH- THC and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC-COOH) but it also has over 100 minor metabolites 40. The 11-OH-THC metabolite is psychoactive and is equipotent to THC in terms of psychoactive effects; THC-COOH is not psychotropic and has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties 41, 42. CBD is not psychotropic, has little affinity for the CB1/CB2 receptors, and appears to be a partial agnostic at the serotonin receptors 43. CBD enhances the expression of the CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus, plus it amplifies the hypothermic effects of THC 44. In preclinical studies, toxin-induced vomiting treated with CBD showed a biphasic response, that is, low doses of CBD had an antiemetic effect while higher doses had a proemetic effect 37, 45.
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Topical capsaicin can be used to provide symptomatic relief but symptoms typically resolve in a day or two without cannabinoid use regardless of treatment. Benzodiazepines and opioids, although sometimes prescribed, have very limited effectiveness for this condition 100. CHS tends to affect younger people; the patients reported in Table 2 ranged in age from 15 to 47 years. It has been suggested that this is due to the fact that cannabinoid use is about double in younger people compared to older individuals 135.
- A study this year in the Journal of Forensic Science described two people in Canada who died from CHS and a third for whom the condition contributed to death.
- Chronic cannabis use significantly raises the risk of mental health problems and personality disorders, a major study suggests.
- Denney didn’t like the fact that her teen son started smoking at 13, but she figured the situation could be worse.
- In the 1970s, THC concentration in most marijuana would be about 7%, Lapoint said.
Boy, 17, died from health condition linked to marijuana that causes severe vomiting
In the limited subset of cases where data were available, it appeared that it took a mean of 2.6 years (range 1 day to 9 years) what is chs to get a CHS diagnosis. All patients reported intractable vomiting for 24–48 h, and all patients suffered abdominal pain; many experienced weight loss as well. Hot showers for symptomatic relief were reported by 17/19 patients 128.
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The recent body of research recognizes that patients with CHS impose a burden on the healthcare systems. Understanding the pathophysiology of the endocannabinoid drug addiction treatment system (ECS) remains central in explaining the clinical features and potential drug targets for the treatment of CHS. The frequency and prevalence of CHS change in accordance with the doses of tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids in various formulations of cannabis.
Differentiating Cyclic Vomiting, PV, and CHS
Though cannabis has become more culturally acceptable and more widely legal, both in the U.S. and abroad, its regular use is still a sensitive topic. “I basically spent that week laying in bed and just sipping slowly on water or sipping slowly on my Pedialyte, trying to get as much electrolytes and nutrition as I could,” recalled Brittany, 27, who today is sober. She asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of how future employers may view her history of marijuana use. What was causing this intense stomach pain, Brittany wondered as she rode in an ambulance one late night in February.
Why might CHS be on the rise?
But measuring dose is a challenging task for people smoking and vaping cannabis, and for researchers trying to gauge the effects of daily use. There were several people in and out of the house during this time, including police, firefighters, EMTs, and detectives. In the state of Indiana, if anyone under the age of 18 dies, the death requires investigation as a homicide.
- Although there were very few case studies involving CHS patients with eating disorders, bulimia might present in such a way that it could be confused with CHS.
- While pot potency has gone through the roof, so have cannabis use and recreational sales, which topped $1.2 billion in Washington state in 2024.
- In this series, the mean amount of cannabis smoked per day was 7.5 cigarettes (range 1–12) for at least 1 year prior to the first episode of vomiting.
Many of Lapoint’s patients returned time after time when the next bout hit, seeking relief from their stomach woes. Doctors can do little to relieve the symptoms, since traditional anti-nausea medications often don’t work and there are no pills to prevent the onset of an episode. Patients may need intravenous hydration and hospital stays until the symptoms subside.
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The mean concentration has risen to 15% to 30%, and it’s possible to make extracts with 99% THC. Denney remained unconvinced, thinking the specialist was too quick to accept the emergency room doctor’s diagnosis without doing any confirmatory testing. Brian, who loved sports and the movie “Twilight,” was close to his family and called himself his mother’s “snuggle bunny.” He was beloved uncle BubBub to his toddler nephew, Zayden.