A condition now known as ‘scromiting’ is sending a bunch of people to emergency rooms and it has to do with cannabis use.
Those affected by the condition suffer from severe nausea, relentless vomiting, and severe stomach pain, and doctors say the culprit is Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
Dr. Beatriz Carlini, research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says, “A person often will have multiple [emergency department] visits until it is correctly recognized, costing thousands of dollars each time.”
The term ‘scromiting’ comes from the fact that people scream while vomiting, and the distress follows withing 24 hours of cannabis consumption, with the side effects described lasting for several days.
Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist, speaks of the difficulty in treatment: “There are currently no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and standard anti-nausea medications often don’t work.”
Doctors often try unconventional approaches, including hot baths, hot showers, capsaicin rubbed on the stomach, and occasionally Haldol, which is normally used for psychosis.
“That’s something that can clinch the diagnosis for me, when someone says they’re better with a hot shower,” Buresh said.
“Patients describe going through all the hot water in their house.”
CHS symptoms may fade for a while, but they’ll return as long as cannabis use continues. The only real way to eliminate it is to stop cannabis entirely.
“Because the syndrome strikes intermittently, some cannabis users assume a recent episode was unrelated and continue using — only to become severely ill again,” Carlini warns.
Scientists can’t figure out why only certain users develop CHS. The current theory is that heavy cannabis use overstimulates the endocannabinoid system, interfering with how the body manages nausea and vomiting.
Dr. Buresh adds: “It seems like there’s a threshold when people can become vulnerable to this condition, and that threshold is different for everyone. Even using in small amounts can make these people start throwing up.”
CHS became an officially recognized condition on October 1, 2025, when the World Health Organization assigned it a formal diagnosis code.
“A new code for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome will supply important hard evidence on cannabis-adverse events, which physicians tell us is a growing problem,” Carlini said.
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