Overview
- Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, nicknamed “scromiting,” involves cycles of severe nausea, uncontrollable vomiting and intense abdominal pain that can prompt patients to cry out.
- A JAMA Network Open analysis of 2016–2022 emergency‑department data found suspected CHS visits rose roughly fivefold, peaking in 2020, with the sharpest increases among adults 18 to 35 and higher rates in recreational‑legal states.
- An additional pediatric study reported more than 55,000 suspected CHS‑related visits among people aged 15 to 24 from 2006 to 2020, with average annual growth of 28.1 percent.
- The World Health Organization and U.S. health officials added ICD‑10 code R11.16 for CHS in October 2025, a move intended to standardize diagnosis and tracking after years of misclassification.
- Emergency care focuses on rehydration and anti‑nausea or antipsychotic drugs, with temporary relief from hot showers or topical capsaicin, while diagnosis centers on long‑term frequent use and symptom resolution after cannabis cessation; clinicians describe rising caseloads as advocates question prevalence and terminology.