A rare and often misunderstood vomiting disorder tied to long-term marijuana use has gained formal recognition from global and U.S. health authorities, a move experts say could help clinicians better diagnose and track a condition that has quietly surged in emergency rooms nationwide.
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, was officially added to the World Health Organization’s global diagnostic manual on October 1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now adopted the same coding in the United States, offering a standardized way for hospitals and doctors to classify cases. The change is expected to improve reporting accuracy, strengthen data collection, and increase awareness among doctors who have struggled to identify the illness.
CHS affects chronic, long-term cannabis users and is marked by recurring cycles of extreme nausea, unrelenting vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients often experience dehydration, significant weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances.
In the most severe cases, complications can escalate to heart rhythm disturbances, seizures, kidney failure, or death. The disorder frequently goes undiagnosed because its symptoms overlap with common gastro-intestinal problems, including viral illnesses and food-related sickness.
Emergency physicians say the syndrome has been difficult to track for years because it lacked a specific diagnostic code, leaving many cases mislabeled or overlooked entirely. With the WHO’s formal recognition, researchers and clinicians expect more precise identification of the disorder.
Evidence suggests the condition is becoming more common. A recent analysis cited in the report found CHS-related emergency room visits climbed roughly 650 percent between 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic period, with most cases involving adults between 18 and 35 year of age.
This spike coincides with the rapid expansion of legalized cannabis markets and the widespread availability of high-potency products. Modern cannabis strains often contain far higher levels of active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, than in past decades, a factor doctors say may play a role in triggering the syndrome.
Patients suffering from CHS often describe a distressing pattern known as “scromiting,” a combination of screaming and vomiting caused by intense abdominal pain. Many resort to taking long, hot showers or applying capsaicin cream to relieve symptoms temporarily, though standard anti-nausea medications typically offer little benefit.
Despite growing awareness, the underlying cause of CHS remains uncertain. Experts still do not know why only a subset of heavy cannabis users develop the condition, while others with similar usage patterns do not. Researchers hope the new coding system will lead to larger studies and clearer answers.
For now, health officials say the WHO’s decision is an important step toward improving care, increasing recognition, and helping clinicians guide patients who may be suffering from a disorder they have never heard of and one many do not even realize is linked to cannabis use.
