Side effect of marijuana has smokers screaming in pain

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, is a rare condition that develops when a person regularly smokes too much marijuana. 

Side effects include nausea, stomach aches and severe vomiting. The condition can be so debilitating doctors even coined a slang name for the reaction: scromiting. The term is a marriage between screaming and vomiting.

Vomiting caused by CHS can lead to short- and long-term health problems including dehydration, malnutrition, tooth decay, inflammation, and tears in the esophagus.

“People don’t want to hear it,” said emergency medical physician Dr. Karen Randall in an interview. “The only way CHS will resolve itself is to discontinue the use of cannabis, and the CHS may recur for several months as there is a washout time, with the average approximately three months.”

People suffering from marijuana addiction can get help. Speak with a primary care physician or reach out to local substance abuse treatment services in Indiana by calling 211.