Adolescent swallowing symptoms improved after cannabis abstinence

Cannabis use remains common among adolescents, and evolving product potency and routes of administration raise concern for underrecognized effects on oropharyngeal and esophageal function. A 16-year-old male presented with globus sensation, dysphagia, and hypersalivation after 2 years of daily cannabis use. Extensive evaluation, including flexible laryngoscopy and barium esophagram, was unremarkable. Empiric treatment with proton pump inhibitors, antibiotics, and allergy medications offered minimal benefit. Symptoms partially improved after cannabis cessation and with glycopyrrolate, with further resolution following sustained abstinence. This case highlights a temporal association between chronic cannabis use and unexplained aerodigestive symptoms, including dysphagia, globus sensation, and hypersalivation in an adolescent. Adult studies suggest cannabinoid-mediated alterations in esophageal motility, but adolescent-specific data are limited. Alternative etiologies, including eosinophilic esophagitis, which was not excluded due to the absence of endoscopy with biopsies, remain possible.