'Vaping to blame' for rise in horrific 'scromiting' side effect in cannabis smokers
A medical expert has confirmed that one of the main causes of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) in young people could be vaping, for a number of reasons.
CHS has risen to infamy in recent weeks and months, as experts have confirmed that weed smokers of all ages are prone to suffering from the condition.
Cannabis is officially a Class B drug in the UK, sitting in the tier below the likes of cocaine and LSD, but on the same level as ketamine.
It has long been perceived by many as one of the 'safer' drugs in terms of side-effects and any long-term conditions which may come from regular use, but it seems like that may all be a myth after all.
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CHS is one of the lesser known, yet dangerous, side-effects of regularly smoking upon the devil's lettuce, with it already being known that persisting with the habit throughout your 20s and 30s means that it'll affect your lungs in the long-term.
What is CHS?
There are positives in quitting a weed-smoking habit, but one that may stand head and shoulders above the rest is the effects of CHS.
The condition can affect chronic cannabis users three to four times a year, causing nausea, abdominal pain and severe vomiting, as new research released last week reveals that more weed smokers than ever are being emitted to US hospitals with these symptoms.
These can appear within 24 hours of using the drug, lasting days at times, with symptoms so severe that doctors have nicknamed the condition as 'scromiting', a combination of screaming and vomiting.
How is CHS linked to vaping?
The British government followed through on its promise to crack down on vaping, banning the sale of disposable vapes earlier this year, but it hasn't stopped vapers from getting their hand on reusable iterations of the product.
They require liquid cartridges to work, which contains nicotine that smokers are after, possibly in addition to other chemicals.
Dr. Deepa Camenga spoke to PBS about how vapes containing THC liquids are circulating now more than ever, with the product easily accessible, particularly for kids and teenagers.
Camenga, who is the associate director of pediatric programs at the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, explained that she rarely saw paediatric cases of CHS early on in her career, around 20 years ago.
Speaking in 2024, she said she was seeing new cases like this everyday, which she said was caused by the increased accessibility of marijuana, but largely by vaping.
Why are younger people smoking more cannabis?
Another professional in Dr. Michael Camilleri, a gastroenterologist from Mayo Clinic, carried out a study with colleagues, finding that CHS cases in emergency departments in North America doubled between 2017 and 2021.
Camenga spoke of this increase, explaining: “No kid could use continuously throughout the day and also be doing anything else, because they would have been smoking a joint before.”
She added that with vapes, 'you can be out, you can be in public, you can be in school, you can be at your job', and get away with vaping cannabis without people knowing.
Smoking a cannabis vape also releases a far less potent smell than your average joint, further masking the habit.
Addiction is suggested to be more common due to the increased THC content in modern marijuana, which is the chemical which makes someone feel 'high', altering senses, impairing memory and coordination, and also releasing dopamine.
No medical cure for CHS
The short answer here is that the only way to get rid of CHS is to quit using cannabis altogether, which is easier said than done for someone who has become reliant on the substance.
Anti-nausea medications aren't usually successful, while doctors can often confuse symptoms with food poisoning, though some with CHS discovered that warm showers can ease the intense pain caused in the stomach area.
Topics: Drugs, Health, Vaping, Science, Community, UK News, US News
Joshua Nair