Doctors say this cannabis condition is sending heavy users to the ER screaming in pain
Emergency rooms across the US are seeing more patients with a painful, poorly understood condition tied to heavy, long-term marijuana use. Doctors call it cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. Patients call it “scromiting,” a blend of screaming and vomiting that describes exactly what an episode looks like. Cases have climbed for years, and pediatric specialists say some kids are ending up in the ER five or six times before anyone connects the dots.
CHS shows up in phases. First comes months of morning nausea and stomach discomfort, easy to write off as nothing. Then it turns into something else entirely: relentless vomiting, sometimes five times an hour, paired with abdominal pain severe enough that patients scream through it. Episodes can last for days.
Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric toxicologist in Colorado, told CNN he’s seen kids hit their fifth ER visit in two months with symptoms they can’t control, writhing and holding their stomach through each episode.
One thing doctors keep hearing from patients: a hot shower is the only thing that helps. Wang told CNN it’s “pretty universal for these patients to say they need a really, really hot shower” to get relief. Nobody fully understands why. Researchers think it might have something to do with cannabis interfering with how the body regulates temperature, but that’s a theory, not a confirmed mechanism.
Where “scromiting” actually comes from
The syndrome isn’t new. Cleveland Clinic traces CHS to overstimulation of the body’s endocannabinoid system after years of heavy use, and researchers in Australia first described it back in 2004. What’s changed is who’s showing up with it, and how often.
The numbers behind the surge
A few data points explain why doctors are suddenly talking about this:
- In Virginia, emergency department visits for CHS jumped nearly 29% between 2020 and 2024, with close to 25,000 total visits tied to the condition over that stretch.
- A Massachusetts study found the CHS rate per 10,000 ER visits went from 0.729 in 2012 to 10.6 in 2021, with people aged 18 to 34 seeing the fastest rise.
- Researchers think the true numbers are probably higher than reported. CHS didn’t get its own official diagnosis code in medical records until October 2025, and some patients don’t tell their doctor they use cannabis at all.
There’s no test that confirms CHS on the spot. Doctors usually diagnose it by ruling out other causes and asking about cannabis use, which is part of why cases likely go undercounted.
What actually treats it
Hospitals typically treat CHS with IV fluids for dehydration and medication for the vomiting and pain. But stopping cannabis use entirely is the only thing that makes it go away for good. Left untreated, doctors warn it can spiral into electrolyte problems, shock, or organ failure, the same risks as any illness involving prolonged, severe vomiting.
Cannabis is legal for recreational use in a growing number of US states, and CHS is turning up most in the states where it’s been legal longest. Pediatricians are specifically flagging it as a risk for teenagers, who may be using potent products daily without knowing this is even a possibility.
