(NEXSTAR) — The condition known to cause "scromiting" among some marijuana users has become more prevalent in the U.S., a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, though the trend among a specific age group may contradict previous understandings of the syndrome. 

Cannabis (or cannabinoid) hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is as serious as it sounds. The condition, which can cause excessive vomiting with recurring bouts of severe stomach pain and nausea, was first detected in Australia two decades ago. Some have referred to a combination of CHS symptoms – screaming, due to the intense pain, and vomiting – as "scromiting."

Hot showers and baths are often described as the only way to mitigate the discomfort. In rare cases, the condition has resulted in death, health officials said.

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"[Patients] are not high in any fashion and in fact are in significant distress with uncontrolled vomiting, gagging, hurling, and pain," Dr. Sam Torbati, the medical director of the Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, explained to Nexstar via email. He sees patients already diagnosed with or presenting with suspected cases of cannabis hyperemesis arrive in his emergency department weekly. 

It's not limited to his emergency department either. 

Virginia authorities reported that emergency department visits for CHS have jumped almost 29% since 2020. Significant spikes have also been reported in Massachusetts, Northern California, and parts of North Carolina. An official at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, said last summer that patients with CHS are seen "every week, if not every day." 

In October, the World Health Organization added CHS to its diagnostic manual, a move meant to make it easier for health care providers to report the specific diagnosis rather than an overview of a patient's symptoms. Patients may have otherwise been misdiagnosed as having another condition, like cyclic vomiting syndrome, according to a 2025 study. 

A new report from the CDC found that, as expected, emergency department visits involving CHS increased in the months after the WHO's update. While researchers noted the rise "[suggests] improved recognition" of CHS, it could indicate that "the public health impact" of the condition was previously underestimated. 

The report also showed a concerning trend.

Health experts have frequently described CHS as occurring in long-time, chronic cannabis users. A George Washington University study of more than 1,000 people who reported experiencing CHS found that over 40% said they used marijuana more than five times a day. Roughly the same proportion of people said they had regularly used marijuana for more than five years before experiencing CHS. 

However, the CDC's latest report found "higher proportions" of emergency department visits involving CHS among younger persons. 

From January 2023 to September 2025, patients between the ages of 15 and 24 had the highest average proportion of monthly emergency department visits at nearly 10 per 10,000. After the diagnostic code for CHS was introduced back in October, the CDC found that the rate jumped to nearly 39 per 10,000. The next–highest age group, 25- to 34-year-olds, had a rate of 28 per 10,000.

For comparison, the national average rate was 3.19 per 10,000 between 2023 and 2025. It jumped to nearly 12 per 10,000 in the eight months after the WHO's update, the CDC determined.

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The increase in younger people diagnosed with the syndrome "was actually one of the surprising findings for us," CDC's Alana Vivolo-Kantor, the study's first author, told The Associated Press.

"Because the assumption going in was, 'well, how can they have chronic use?'" she said. "How early were they using cannabis?"

Researchers noted the trend, explaining that "emerging evidence indicates that symptom onset can occur much sooner than was previously estimated, including within the first year of cannabis use."

The report theorized that, among younger people, there may be changes in cannabis use behavior, like starting at an earlier age and using "evolving methods of use" like vaping or higher-potency products. 

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Torbati agreed. 

"Older data suggested CHS to occur after prolonged use but we are now seeing patients with CHS after only a few years of heavy cannabinoid use. This may be due to the higher potency of [marijuana] products which have much higher THC concentrations than in the past," he said.

Recent studies had warned that younger people could be more at risk of experiencing CHS. 

A study out of Massachusetts found that younger adults, ages 18 to 34, could be at a higher risk of experiencing CHS, as could Hispanic and Black individuals. A similar 2025 study of nationwide data found CHS was most common among those ages 16 to 34 and corresponded with heavier cannabis use. The same study found CHS was "notably more prevalent in the South," but that those who reported the highest rates of cannabis use were in states that have legalized recreational cannabis, which are primarily in other regions. 

Still, Torbati said that the condition impacts only a small proportion of people who use cannabis products. It's also possible that a chronic user never develops CHS, health experts say. 

It's not clear exactly how marijuana products cause CHS, though Cedars Sinai said it may be brought on by receptors in the brain no longer responding to marijuana as they had before. 

CHS can occur in three phases: prodromal, hyperemetic, and recovery. 

During the first, which "may last for months or years," patients can experience belly pain and nausea in the morning. This may lead to increased marijuana use, as it is often used to treat such symptoms. 

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In the hyperemetic phase, symptoms can become worse and progress to vomiting that is "overwhelming" and "recurrent," lasting about a day or two. Patients may feel the need to bathe frequently, as hot water has been known to ease their nausea. It's during this phase that health experts say patients typically seek medical care. 

During the final phase, recovery, symptoms fade over time before disappearing as the patient stops using any and all forms of cannabis. Symptoms are known to return if they try marijuana again, however. 

"[The] majority of patients have been diagnosed with CHS in the past and are either in denial or unable to stop use of marijuana products," he explained. "These patients often will not provide accurate drug use histories, making the clinician's job more challenging, often leading to unnecessary testing such as imaging with CT or ultrasound to rule out other conditions."

They may further require "help from drug treatment specialists." 

While there are treatment options to control the symptoms patients can experience, the "long term cure to this condition requires abstinence from cannabinoid products," Torbati said. 

The CDC report, meanwhile, argued that there is a need to raise awareness of the condition among healthcare providers and the public, "but further education efforts might be needed to prevent the cause of CHS: cannabis use."

Researchers also called for continued surveillance of the condition, "including the potential role of high-potency THC and hemp-derived products."

If you believe you're experiencing symptoms of CHS, health experts recommend speaking with your doctor. 

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