Edith Hejberg
Social media coined the term scromiting, a mash-up of screaming and vomiting, to describe the sheer distress sufferers experience.
A mother on TikTok described it as worse than childbirth, sobbing, screaming, and vomiting uncontrollably after using marijuana. “I can’t take this anymore! I hate my life,” she cried, pleading for relief. Her experience mirrors a growing number of similar cases across the US.
What is ‘scromiting’?
Known medically as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), this condition causes repeated bouts of nausea, severe stomach pain, and intense vomiting.
Social media coined the term scromiting, a mash-up of screaming and vomiting, to describe the sheer distress sufferers experience.
Teens hit hardest in emergency rooms
Doctors are seeing more habitual marijuana users, especially teens, arriving at emergency departments with intense abdominal pain.
“They’re writhing, holding their stomach, and can’t stop vomiting,” said Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric toxicologist in Colorado.
A cycle of hot showers and hospital visits
Patients often report taking scalding hot showers before heading to hospital, trying to relieve their symptoms.
While the heat may distract from the pain, the relief is usually temporary. Some teens have shown up to the ER multiple times in just a few months.
CHS can become life-threatening
If left untreated, CHS can lead to severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and even organ failure.
“Regardless of the cause, vomiting too much for too long is dangerous,” Dr. Wang warned. Prompt medical attention is critical.
A strange syndrome with a short history
CHS was first identified in 2004, when Australian researchers linked chronic marijuana use to recurring nausea and vomiting.
They found that symptoms stopped when users quit cannabis, but returned when they resumed. Hot baths also became a curious trend in managing attacks.
Why the obsession with heat?
Many CHS sufferers insist that only extremely hot showers or baths bring any relief. The reason isn’t fully understood, but experts suspect heat may interfere with pain receptors affected by THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Cannabis: cure and cause
Ironically, cannabis is often used to treat nausea, especially for chemotherapy patients.
So why does it cause it in others? One theory is dosage. Today’s marijuana products are far more potent than they were decades ago, with THC levels now averaging 15–20%.
Not every user is affected
Another mystery: not all chronic users develop CHS. “We don’t know who’s at risk,” said Dr. Wang.
“Is it how often they use? The product type? The potency? We just don’t have that data yet.” Research is ongoing to identify possible risk factors.
Cases are climbing across the US
A 2020 study showed nearly 1 in 5 patients hospitalized for cyclic vomiting between 2005 and 2014 also used cannabis
After Colorado legalized recreational weed, vomiting cases linked to marijuana jumped by 29%, with over 800,000 incidents reported in just five years.
Young people are especially affected
A study released in July 2025 found ER visits for cannabis-related vomiting among teens and young adults rose more than tenfold from 2016 to 2023.
A separate study saw adult cases spike during the pandemic, and stay high.
Tracking CHS has been a challenge
Until recently, there was no official diagnostic code for CHS, making it hard to track cases reliably. Researchers had to rely on vague symptoms and self-reported cannabis use, data many patients were unwilling to share.
A new diagnosis code brings hope
As of October 1, 2025, CHS has an official US medical billing code: R11.16. The World Health Organization followed suit, enabling global data collection.
With better tracking, researchers hope to better understand, treat, and perhaps prevent this unusual condition.
