Research: Although known for stomach-calming properties, smoking pot can make you throw up

By Carol Christian,

Just as every story has at least two sides, it turns out that marijuana can have some unexpected effects.

Increased marijuana use has led to the recognition of a condition known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, according to research at Temple University in Philadelphia. The condition is often confused with "cyclic vomiting syndrome," which has similar properties, the researchers said.

Led by Dr. Frank K. Friedenberg at the university's Lewis Katz School of Medicine, the researchers found that the syndrome is characterized by chronic cannabis use, rounds of nausea and vomiting and frequent hot bathing.

What causes the syndrome is unknown, according to a journal article available online through PubMed Central at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The article was published by Current Drug Abuse Review.

Although marijuana is well known for its anti-emetic, or anti-vomiting, properties, the researchers found increasing evidence of its "paradoxical effects" on the digestive tract and central nervous system.

These effects play out in three stages that include about 48 hours of vomiting. Treatment includes restoring fluids to the body and taking anti-vomiting medication.

"Patients often demonstrate the learned behavior of frequent hot bathing, which produces temporary cessation of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain," the researchers wrote.

The researchers noted that, while the overall prevalence of marijuana use has remained stable in the United States, the prevalence of cannabis-use disorders has continued to rise.