In recent weeks, media outlets from Fox 8 to CNN have turned up the volume on stories about Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), a rare but very real condition tied to chronic cannabis use. The coverage is loud, graphic, and alarmist. What it isn’t? Balanced.
Let’s be clear: CHS exists. It’s a documented medical syndrome involving cyclical vomiting and abdominal pain, most often found in heavy, long-term cannabis users. Many patients report compulsive use of hot showers or baths to relieve symptoms, a distinctive behavioral pattern that helps doctors identify the condition.
It was first identified in Australia in 2004 and recognized by the World Health Organization in 2025 with its own diagnostic code: R11.16. This will help improve clinical recognition and reduce misdiagnosis. That’s a win.
But in the same breath, let’s say something else, just as clearly: the media hype around CHS is spiraling into Reefer Madness 2.0. And this time, it comes with a new buzzword: scromiting.
A Rare Condition, Packaged as Crisis
The facts? CHS is uncommon. According to JAMA Network Open, emergency department visits for CHS rose during the pandemic, but even at their peak, they accounted for only 33.1 cases per 100,000 visits. It disproportionately affects people who use high-potency THC products multiple times daily, not the average cannabis consumer.
But you wouldn’t know that from headlines like “Mysterious marijuana-linked vomiting disorder gets official WHO code as ER cases jump” (Fox News), or “‘Scromiting,’ a bizarre condition linked to chronic marijuana use, is on the rise” (CNN), which pair dramatic anecdotes with foreboding language, often with little statistical context. Fox claimed ER cases had “surged 650%” without mentioning that most were easily treatable, non-lethal, and occurred in a narrow user population.
Scromiting Sells, Science Doesn’t
The term scromiting (screaming + vomiting) wasn’t coined by doctors: …
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Author: High Times / High Times
