The WHO has added cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) to its diagnostic manual, establishing a new dedicated ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification) diagnosis code for the health condition.
The WHO has added cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) to its diagnostic manual, establishing a new dedicated ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification) diagnosis code for the health condition.
The update, which took effect Oct. 1, 2025, has also been adopted by the CDC. The goal was to facilitate healthcare providers in the United States to not only deliver a more conclusive diagnosis but to track and more precisely study the syndrome.
CHS is an increasingly recognized complication of chronic cannabis use, characterized by severe abdominal pain and recurrent episodes of nausea and intense vomiting. As the potency of cannabis has increased over the last few decades, so too has the prevalence of CHS.
Several published studies speak to the scope of the problem (JAMA Netw Open 2025;8[11]:e2545310), as well as detail a sharp rise in CHS-related emergency department visits in the United States (JAMA Netw Open 2025;8[7]:e2520492). The study reported a 49% annual increase among individuals aged 13 to 21 years between 2016 and 2023.