CDC Reports 16% Rise in Cannabis Hyperemesis ER Diagnoses as THC Potency Reaches 16%
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 10
CDC Reports 16% Rise in Cannabis Hyperemesis ER Diagnoses as THC Potency Reaches 16%
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 10
Summary
ER diagnoses of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome rose 16% from October 2025 to May 2026, the CDC said, extending a sharp increase in severe vomiting and nausea cases tied to frequent marijuana use.
CDC researchers said the jump partly reflects a new ICD-10 code introduced in October, but they also pointed to stronger cannabis products as THC levels have climbed from about 4% in the 1990s to 16% now.
Patients ages 15 to 24 showed an unexpectedly prominent increase, with teenage girls, young women, Black Americans and Native Americans also more represented in the latest data.
The agency said symptoms may appear within the first year of cannabis use—earlier than previously thought—while concentrated products such as vapes and dabs could be contributing.
Prior research had already found CHS cases doubled between 2017 and 2021, and the CDC said education campaigns may be needed as legalization-era normalization collides with higher-potency use.
With emergency visits surging after a new medical code, are doctors finally catching a hidden cannabis illness, or just overdiagnosing it?
Why are teens suffering severe kidney strain, and could high-potency cannabis vapes be the hidden culprit behind mystery stomach bugs?
Since standard anti-nausea drugs often fail, why is a simple hot shower the ultimate clue to diagnosing this agonizing cannabis-induced vomiting condition?