Doctors across the U.S. are sounding the alarm about a dangerous cannabis-related condition pushing record numbers of users into emergency rooms. Known medically as Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) — and grimly nicknamed “scromiting” — the illness strikes without warning, causing crippling nausea, relentless vomiting, and abdominal pain so severe that patients often collapse or scream while retching. Many arrive at the ER multiple times before anyone realizes what’s happening.
The episodes can last for days, and what makes CHS especially hard to treat is that standard anti-nausea medications rarely work. With no FDA-approved therapies, doctors often resort to unconventional methods like capsaicin cream, hot showers, or even Haldol. In fact, one telltale sign of CHS is when patients say hot water is the only thing that brings momentary relief — some admit to using up every drop in the house during an attack.
Despite how extreme the symptoms are, the only true cure is simple but difficult: complete cessation of cannabis use. Doctors warn that the condition often returns the moment someone uses again, yet many users dismiss early episodes as food poisoning or unrelated illness. What’s most troubling is the rise in young patients — adolescent CHS cases have spiked more than tenfold since 2016, according to recent national data.
On October 1, 2025, the World Health Organization formally assigned CHS its own diagnosis code, a step researchers say will help track its rapid spread. While the exact cause remains unclear, experts believe heavy or prolonged cannabis use disrupts the body’s ability to regulate nausea. And as ER visits continue climbing across legal and illegal states alike, doctors urge the public to take the condition seriously — because for thousands of users, “scromiting” isn’t a myth. It’s a medical emergency.
