Emergency visits involving cannabis hyperemesis syndrome rose 3.7-fold after a dedicated diagnosis code was introduced, likely reflecting improved recognition and documentation rather than a sudden increase in the condition itself.
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, is a condition associated with frequent cannabis use that causes recurrent episodes of severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
A new CDC report analysed emergency department data collected between January 2023 and May 2026. Researchers identified 199,565 CHS-involved visits among more than 407 million emergency visits recorded during that period.
Before October 2025, clinicians did not have a dedicated US diagnosis code for CHS. Cases had to be identified using combinations of codes for vomiting and cannabis-related conditions, which increased the risk of missed or inconsistent documentation.
A specific ICD-10-CM code for CHS was introduced on October 1, 2025, making the condition easier to identify and track.
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Recorded Visits Rose Sharply After the Code Changed
The proportion of emergency visits involving CHS remained relatively stable from January 2023 through September 2025. It increased from 3.35 per 10,000 emergency visits in September 2025 to 11.26 per 10,000 in October, immediately after the new code took effect.
By May 2026, the recorded proportion had reached 13.10 per 10,000 emergency visits.
Across the eight months following implementation, the average was 11.97 CHS-involved visits per 10,000 emergency visits—3.7 times the previous monthly average of 3.19.
However, this does not prove that the actual incidence of CHS suddenly increased nearly fourfold. The abrupt timing suggests that greater awareness, more consistent documentation and adoption of the new code accounted for at least part of the rise.
The findings may therefore reveal a burden that was already present but frequently missed or classified as another gastrointestinal problem.
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Young People Recorded the Highest Visit Proportions
Patients aged 15 to 24 had the highest average proportion of CHS-involved emergency visits after the new code was introduced, at 38.70 per 10,000 visits. Adults aged 25 to 34 followed at 28.28 per 10,000.
This challenges the assumption that CHS develops only after many years of cannabis use. The CDC notes that emerging evidence suggests symptoms may sometimes begin within the first year of frequent use.
A separate JAMA Network Open study found that CHS-related emergency encounters among patients aged 13 to 21 increased more than tenfold between 2016 and 2023.
Researchers are examining whether earlier cannabis initiation, frequent use, vaping, concentrated products and changing perceptions of risk may contribute to the pattern among younger people. The role of high-potency THC remains under investigation and has not been established as a direct cause of CHS.
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“Scromiting” Is a Headline Term, not a Diagnosis
The word “scromiting” combines screaming and vomiting. It has been used in media coverage to describe particularly distressing CHS episodes involving severe pain and uncontrollable vomiting.
However, it is not a clinical diagnosis, and not every patient with CHS screams during an episode. The medically recognised term is cannabis or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
The informal expression may attract attention, but it can also make the condition sound exaggerated or humorous. CHS is a genuine medical disorder that can require emergency treatment and hospitalization.
Patients may experience repeated vomiting, intense abdominal pain, sweating, gagging and an inability to keep food or fluids down. Symptoms can disappear between episodes, making the condition more difficult to recognise.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified Using a New Diagnosis Code — United States, January 2023–May 2026
Hot Showers Ease Symptoms but Do Not Treat CHS
One distinctive feature of CHS is the urge to take repeated hot showers or baths. Many patients report that heat temporarily reduces nausea or abdominal discomfort.
The JAMA Patient Page on CHS notes that this temporary relief can lead to compulsive bathing. However, improvement with hot water does not confirm CHS on its own, and not every patient experiences it.
Hot bathing also does not treat the underlying condition. Symptoms commonly return after the person leaves the shower or uses cannabis again.
CHS can resemble cyclic vomiting syndrome, gastroenteritis, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis and other abdominal conditions. A healthcare professional must therefore evaluate severe or recurrent vomiting rather than assuming cannabis is the cause.
Frequent Cannabis Use Is the Central Risk Pattern
CHS is most strongly associated with frequent cannabis use, particularly daily or near-daily consumption. Susceptibility varies, meaning many people who use cannabis will never develop the syndrome.
The exact biological mechanism remains uncertain. Researchers have proposed changes involving cannabinoid receptors, gastrointestinal function, temperature regulation and individual susceptibility, but no single explanation has been confirmed.
The type of product may also matter. Cannabis is now consumed through smoking, vaping, edible products, concentrates and hemp-derived cannabinoids. The CDC says continued surveillance is needed to understand the possible influence of potency, product type and route of use.
Patients should tell clinicians about all cannabinoid products they use—not only products they consider marijuana. Incomplete information can make it harder to distinguish CHS from other causes of recurrent vomiting.
Repeated Vomiting Can Become Medically Dangerous
CHS is more than an uncomfortable stomach condition. Persistent vomiting can lead to severe dehydration, acute kidney injury and dangerous disturbances in sodium, potassium and other electrolytes.
Rare complications can include abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, kidney failure and death. Emergency treatment may involve intravenous fluids, correction of electrolyte abnormalities and medicines to control acute symptoms.
Urgent medical assessment is particularly important when a person:
- Cannot keep liquids down
- Produces very little or unusually dark urine
- Becomes dizzy, confused, weak or faint
- Develops severe or persistent abdominal pain
- Vomits blood
- Experiences chest pain, seizures or difficulty remaining conscious
These symptoms can occur with conditions other than CHS and should not be managed through hot showers or home remedies alone.
Stopping Cannabis Is Central to Long-Term Recovery
Emergency treatment can control dehydration, nausea and pain, but it does not prevent another CHS episode if cannabis use continues.
Complete cessation is considered the most effective long-term treatment, according to JAMA and the American College of Gastroenterology. Symptoms generally improve after cannabis use stops but may return when it resumes.(2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
Stopping may be difficult for people who have developed cannabis dependence or who use it to manage pain, sleep problems, anxiety or nausea. Withdrawal symptoms and relapse can occur.
Support from a primary-care clinician, addiction specialist, psychologist or substance-use treatment service may therefore be necessary. Treatment should address both the vomiting syndrome and the reasons the patient continues to use cannabis.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified Using a New Diagnosis Code — United States, January 2023–May 2026
Honest Disclosure Can Shorten the Diagnostic Journey
CHS remains underrecognized because patients may not associate cannabis with vomiting or may avoid discussing their use because of embarrassment, stigma or legal concerns.
Some patients increase their cannabis use when nausea begins because they expect it to provide relief. This can complicate the pattern and delay recognition of the condition.
Clinicians should ask nonjudgmentally about frequency, duration, product type and route of cannabis use when evaluating unexplained recurrent vomiting. Patients should answer as accurately as possible, including information about vapes, edibles, concentrates and synthetic or hemp-derived cannabinoids.
Earlier recognition may reduce repeated emergency visits and unnecessary imaging or gastrointestinal tests. However, clinicians must still investigate other potentially serious causes when the diagnosis is uncertain.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified Using a New Diagnosis Code — United States, January 2023–May 2026
The CDC Findings Have Important Limitations
The analysis included 3,636 consistently reporting emergency departments and captured only patients who sought emergency care. Identification also depended on clinical documentation and patients disclosing their cannabis use, meaning cases could have been missed or misclassified.
Because a new diagnostic method was introduced in October 2025, the increase in recorded visits may largely reflect improved recognition and coding rather than an equivalent rise in new CHS cases.
Better Recognition Is Only the Beginning
The new diagnosis code provides a clearer picture of CHS in US emergency departments, but it does not answer every question about prevalence, susceptibility or the role of newer cannabis products.
The strongest conclusion is not that CHS suddenly became 3.7 times more common. It is that the condition was probably underrecognized and that its public-health burden may be greater than previous data suggested.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified Using a New Diagnosis Code — United States, January 2023–May 2026
Greater awareness among clinicians, patients, parents and young adults could lead to earlier diagnosis and fewer recurrent emergencies. Anyone experiencing repeated vomiting and abdominal pain alongside frequent cannabis use should seek medical care and discuss that use openly.
References:
- Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified Using a New Diagnosis Code — United States, January 2023–May 2026- (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7530a2.htm)
- Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome- (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2824833)
Source-Medindia