A condition now known as ‘scromiting’ is sending a bunch of people to emergency rooms and it has to do with cannabis use

Those affected by the condition suffer from severe nausea, relentless vomiting, and severe stomach pain, and doctors say the culprit is Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).

Dr. Beatriz Carlini, research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says, “A person often will have multiple [emergency department] visits until it is correctly recognized, costing thousands of dollars each time.”

The term ‘scromiting’ comes from the fact that people scream while vomiting, and the distress follows withing 24 hours of cannabis consumption, with the side effects described lasting for several days.

Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist, speaks of the difficulty in treatment: “There are currently no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and standard anti-nausea medications often don’t work.”

Doctors often try unconventional approaches, including hot baths, hot showers, capsaicin rubbed on the stomach, and occasionally Haldol, which is normally used for psychosis.