Young people arrive at the hospital because they are seized with violent vomiting which lasts for hours and hours. They writhe in pain and continue to empty themselves. Between 2013 and 2018, hospitals in Colorado recorded 800,000 such cases, reports a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Doctors call this mysterious and fleeting disease, cannabinoid syndrome.
Exploding THC levels
During this time, in 2014, recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado. It was since 2009 authorized for medical purposes only. With the aim of relieving patients undergoing chemotherapy of their nausea and vomiting, paradoxically. Since its legalization, cases of this syndrome, also called “cannabis hyperemesis” increased by 29% and concerned a third of young adults up to the age of 25.
Without yet knowing the origin of this reaction, doctors point to the consumption of this drug. Although it was widely consumed before 2013, the THC level would have increased a lot. Dr. Wang, who conducted the study, explains that in the 1990s, there was an average of 4% to 5% THC in cannabis, compared to 15% to 20% now.
In France, for several months, the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) have also been warning about the increase in the average THC content.
That said, not all smokers are affected by the syndrome, and those who manifest it are not necessarily heavy smokers, notes the study.
Go to the hospital quickly in case of cannabinoid syndrome
The only thing that pretty much calms the sick? A shower or a bath, very hot, they testify for the most part. This could be explained by the fact that THC has access to pain receptors and that the sensation of extreme heat would make it possible to interrupt the cycle of pain, explains an article published on the CNN website. Once in the hospital, they can be treated by anti-nausea medications and intravenous rehydration to compensate for vomiting.
Doctors continue to ask many questions and carry out many tests in all young people who arrive with this type of digestive symptom. Some come back several times a month, they say. Each time, they find that patients lose control. They remind the importance of going to the emergency room quickly after the onset of vomiting so that they can be controlled and not be life threatening.
Sources:
- Changes in Emergency Department Encounters for Vomiting After Cannabis Legalization in Colorado, JAMASeptember 17, 2021.
- Uncontrollable vomiting due to marijuana use on rise, study finds, CNN health, September 17, 2021.
Read also:
- Beware of your memories, especially if you use cannabis
- Medical cannabis: green light for experimentation
