Emergency room visits across the United States have reportedly surged due to a condition known as “scromiting.” While the name sounds alarming, the condition isn’t contagious and doesn’t usually cause long-term damage. However, it affects one specific group: long-term cannabis users. Doctors say more frequent marijuana use has led to a sharp rise in patients arriving at A&E with severe abdominal pain, relentless nausea, and extreme vomiting. The condition’s nickname, “scromiting,” comes from a combination of screaming and vomiting—a grim but accurate description of the symptoms.

Medically, the condition is called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Sufferers can experience three to four episodes per year, with vomiting occurring as often as four or five times an hour. Symptoms typically appear within 24 hours of cannabis use and can last for days. One of the biggest challenges with CHS is that it often returns.

Even when users quit temporarily, many resume smoking once symptoms fade—only for the cycle to repeat. University of Washington research associate Dr. Beatriz Carlini says many patients make multiple ER visits before CHS is correctly diagnosed, costing thousands of dollars each time. Doctors still don’t fully understand why cannabis triggers such intense symptoms.

It’s believed that long-term overstimulation of receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system may disrupt the natural control of nausea and vomiting. Treating CHS is difficult. There are no FDA-approved treatments, and standard anti-nausea medications often fail. Some patients report temporary relief from hot showers or baths—sometimes to the point of using all the hot water in their home. Ultimately, the only proven way to stop CHS is to stop using cannabis altogether.