Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute

Symposium Program

September 18, 2026 | Virtual or in-person at UW Tower, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle

8:00-9:00amRegistration / Sign-in

9:00-9:15am – Opening remarks

  • Susan Ferguson, PhD, Director, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)  
  • Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH, Director, ADAI Cannabis Education and Research Program, University of Washington

9:15-9:40am – Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) in Washington State: What Do We Know?

Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH

9:40-10:30am – Understanding CHS

  • Moderator: Susan Stoner, PhD, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute
  • CHS and Gut Brain Interaction
    Marieka DeVuono, PhD, Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada  
  • CHS and Genetic Susceptibility
    Ethan Russo, MD, Credo Science Founder & CEO 

10:30-10:45amBreak

10:45-11:50amCHS Prevalence and Trends

Discussant: Jason Williams, PhD, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)

  • CHS prevalence in US Emergency Departments from 2016 to 2022  
    James A. Swartz, PhD, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois Chicago, IL 
  • Emergency Department Visits for CHS Among Adolescents  
    Michael S. Toce, MD, MS, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA  
  • CHS prevalence and risk factors in the U.S․ 
    Nick Glodosky, PhD, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, WA

11:50am-12:15pmHow Narratives of Cannabis Shape CHS Diagnosis Contestation and Treatment Resistance

Moderator: Sharon Garrett, MPH, MA, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)

  • Heith Copes, PhD, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Alabama at Birmingham 

12:15-1:15pmLunch (provided). Virtual posters will be displayed onscreen throughout lunch.

1:15-2:30pmPresentation, Treatment, and Management of CHS in Diverse Settings

Discussant: Chris Buresh, MD, University of Washington Department of Emergency Medicine

  • Emergency Departments & Hospitals 
    Kimberly Won, PhD, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, La Jolla, CA 
  • Addiction treatment settings
    Jennifer Hsu, MD, UW Valley Medical Center 
  • Pediatric settings 
    Michael S. Toce, MD, MS, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 

2:30-2:45pmBreak

2:45-3:45pmCHS: Clinical, Behavioral, & Policy Perspectives

Moderator: Mary Hatch, PhD, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)

  • Clinical interventions with clients with CHS symptoms
    Katherine Walukevich-Dienst, PhD, UW School of Medicine, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Department, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors (CSHRB)
  • Looking at motivations for using cannabis for CHS related symptoms among young adult sample
    Christine Lee, PhD, UW School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors (CSHRB)
  • Environmental interventions do decrease cannabis concentration – revisiting recommendations to WA State Legislators  
     Sharon Garrett, MPH, MA, University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)

3:45-4:00pmFinal Words and a Research Agenda

  • Chris Buresh, MD, and Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH (both from UW)

Symposium Scientific Committee Members (alphabetic order):
Chris Buresch, MD; Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH and Sharon Garrett, MSc, MPH.
The ADAI Symposium is funded by the University of Washington’s Cannabis Dedicated Account.