“In general, we do not support arbitrary limits on potency as long as products are properly tested and labeled,” Bethany Moore, a spokeswoman for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said in a statement. But there is little evidence to suggest these specific levels are somehow safer. Both ban concentrates above 60 percent, with the exception of pre-filled cartridges, and do not permit cannabis plant material to exceed 30 percent THC. In addition to uncontrollable vomiting and addiction, adolescents who frequently use high doses of cannabis may also experience psychosis that could possibly lead to a lifelong psychiatric disorder, an increased likelihood of developing depression and suicidal ideation, changes in brain anatomy and connectivity and poor memory.Īlthough cannabis is legal for recreational use in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and for medical use in 37 states and D.C., only Vermont and Connecticut have imposed caps on THC concentration. Marijuana is not as dangerous as a drug like fentanyl, but it can have potentially harmful effects - especially for young people, whose brains are still developing. But experts say today’s high-THC cannabis products - vastly different than the joints smoked decades ago - are poisoning some heavy users, including teenagers. It wasn’t until 2021, after a half dozen trips to the emergency room for stomach illness, including some hospital stays, that a gastroenterologist diagnosed her with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition that causes recurrent vomiting in heavy marijuana users.Īlthough recreational cannabis is illegal in the United States for those under 21, it has become more accessible as many states have legalized it. “I felt like my body was levitating.”Īnother time she estimated that she threw up at least 20 times in the span of two hours. During one episode, Elysse said, she threw up in a mall bathroom for an hour.
At first she and her parents - and even her doctors - were baffled. Starting in 2020 she began having mysterious bouts of illness where she would throw up over and over again. We tried tough love, we tried everything, to be honest with you,” Elysse’s father said of her addiction. “We got her in a program to help her with it. Her parents didn’t find out until about one year later, in 2019. But because these products were derived from cannabis, and nearly everyone she knew was using them, she assumed they were relatively safe. The oil and waxes she bought from dealers were typically about 90 percent THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana.
Another time she passed out in the shower, only to wake up half an hour later. Sometimes the marijuana would make Elysse feel more anxious, or sad. Everything was hilarious.”īut the euphoria eventually morphed into something more disturbing. Insane euphoria,” said Elysse, now 18, whose last name is being withheld to protect her privacy. After the second or third try, she was hooked. And it was convenient - just press a button and inhale. It didn’t smell, which made it easy to hide from her parents. Elysse was 14 when she first started vaping cannabis.
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