A growing number of chronic marijuana users in the US are suffering from a debilitating condition known as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), which triggers relentless nausea, abdominal pain and severe vomiting — sometimes lasting for a week or more.
The phenomenon, dubbed “scromiting” — a blend of screaming and vomiting — has become so common that the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently added official diagnostic codes, the New York Post reported. Emergency rooms across the country have reported a steady rise in cases over the past decade.
‘I would be puking all morning’
Sydni Collins, 23, began using marijuana at 16 and continued even as symptoms worsened. “There were some days when it lasted until noon and I would not go to school because of how bad it was,” she told The Post. “I would be puking all morning. I would let out yells or cries because nothing would come out. I was just dry heaving.”
Her condition escalated during a spring break flight, leading to seven ER visits in one month. Collins was eventually admitted to the hospital weighing just 87 pounds and placed on a feeding tube. “They said, ‘This is not normal, we need to figure it out,’” she recalled.
Misdiagnosis and misconceptions
CHS is often misdiagnosed as food poisoning or stomach flu due to a lack of awareness. “The most common misconception about CHS is that it is even a real condition,” said John Puls, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist. Another patient, Dan McGovern, was initially told he had acid reflux. “I would wake up every morning and just start throwing up and involuntarily yelling during the dry heaving,” he said.
How marijuana disrupts brain receptors
While the exact cause remains unclear, experts believe chronic THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) -- the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, responsible for the "high" -- use overstimulates CB1 receptors in the brain and gut, disrupting the body’s natural control of nausea and vomiting. “Personally, I see it most in people who use THC daily,” Dr Brian Kendall, an emergency medicine physician, told the New York Post.
A vicious cycle
Ironically, many sufferers continue using marijuana to ease nausea, creating a cycle that worsens symptoms. Collins eventually quit after repeated hospitalisations. “The only way to figure out if [my symptoms] were from weed is if I stopped,” she said. “So I did, and I got better.”
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