Could Marijuana Vomiting Disorder Hurt Declining WA Industry?

There's two questions in one right there:

1. There is a marijuana vomiting disorder?
2. Washington State's marijuana industry is declining?

The answer to both is yes, but to varying degrees.  The third question that ties the first two together is whether the World Health Organization (WHO) creating a code for the disorder will influence regular and casual users of cannabis?

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Yes Virginia, There Really Is A Marijuana Vomiting Disorder...

It is officially known as Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) and it was formally added to it's diagnostic manual two months ago today (October 1).  In the United States, it means the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has also adopted it.

That adoption makes it so doctors around the country can track the disease on it's own merits instead of placing it in with gastrointestinal disorders or even food poisoning (which it had sometimes been confused for).

The Cleveland Clinic went so far to note that patients described the act of "scromiting" (screaming & vomiting) as a result of CHS.

Who Gets CHS?

If you use marijuana long-term, you're susceptible to suffering from CHS.  If left untreated it can lead to serious health issues.  According to their research the Cleveland Clinic lists these people as most susceptible to developing CHS

People who use marijuana long-term — typically for about 10 to 12 years — are at risk of developing CHS.  It tends to affect people who use cannabis at least once a week and happens more often in adults who’ve been using cannabis since their adolescent years.

That doesn't mean everyone who partakes and meets those markers will develop CHS, it just means they are more likely.

Here Is The Potential Impact On WA's Pot industry

It's been declining since the peak revenue year of 2021 when the State saw almost $1.5 billion in sales.  Certain areas have seen a steeper decline than others.  While retail sales in Benton County were about 10% higher in 2024 than 2023, other areas around the State haven't been as fortunate.

Those smaller, struggling retailers don't need their customer base rethinking their patronage over fears of "scromiting".  It's more likely an irrational fear that current consumers will abandon the habit over CHS, if you experience any of these symptoms:

• Persistent nausea (usually in the morning)
• Repeated vomiting and retching (otherwise known as the "dry heaves").
• Intense abdominal discomfort or pain.
• Fear of throwing up.
• Loss of appetite.

Not for nothing...but ER visits attributed to CHS are up 650% in the last decade.  In the Evergreen State, 5.1% who've used in the last year and 10.3% who use weekly reported experiencing CHS.  If those numbers increase it may add another factor to the increasing number of them contributing to cannabis' revenue decline in the State coffers.