Newbie Guide to NOT Greening Out
“Greening out” or the act of getting “too high” is something that most experienced cannabis smokers don’t often run across. However, considering that all over the world we are legalizing cannabis at an accelerated pace; many newbies might find themselves in a whirlwind of green.
As part of my series of articles focused on preparing these “younglings” in the art of proper cannabis smoking, we will be discussing a few things that will hopefully help you to avoid the “Great Deep Green”.
So let’s not beat around the proverbial bush and get right into it.
Is Greening Out a Bad Thing?
It is neither good nor bad; it is just something that can happen. Within the world of psychedelics, there is no such thing as a “bad trip” no matter how intense the experience might be. In most cases, even if it’s scarier than Donald Trump in short-shorts, the experience teaches you many things.
For starters, Greening Out teaches you to respect Mary Jane. Even though she is probably one of the “chiller” recreational substance out there, if you abuse she will punish you. The idea of smoking weed isn’t necessarily about “getting shitfaced!” but rather, it’s about enjoying yourself, spending some time with yourself and relaxing – having a good time.
Another thing greening out teaches you relates to your own limitations. Some people think that they can smoke pounds of good ol’ Mary, but we all have our limitations. When you’ve green out, you’ve obviously gone too far.
How NOT to Green Out
The first thing you need to do in order to NOT green out is to pace yourself. You don’t need to prove anything to anybody. If you’re high from a single toke, then that’s okay. If your buddy next to you can take 10 more tokes, then that’s okay too.
I have had a friend that once tried to keep up with us (after having abstained from smoking for months), who got so high that his vision was impaired for a good hour. Drifting in and out of consciousness, I had to sit next to him on a public bench for a decent stretch of time until he was able to walk with me back to the apartment. Prior to this happening, I told him to relax…he had nothing to prove. He obviously didn’t listen.
The trick is to “know thyself!” Know your limitations, know your tolerance and know what it is you’re smoking. Some strains can be very potent, so always take it slow and work your way up.
One of the other reasons people tend to “Green Out” is because they had excessively too many edibles. Due to the slow-release of edibles, coupled with the liver turning the THCa into 11-Hydroxy-THC (10x more potent than delta-9-THC), many newcomers bite off more than they can stomach.
On average, an edible will take between 45-mins to an hour for it “kick in”. This doesn’t mean you’re feeling the full effect, it only means it’s “kicking in”. The smart approach is to wait at least for an hour and a half before eating another one. This is especially true for those who are new to cannabis.
If after an hour and a half, you’re still good and feel like you can have more, by all means…go ahead. Just remember, that the edible you’re eating will take roughly 45-mins to an hour to kick in again. In addition, the compounding effect of THC will intensify the high.
If you follow these suggestions, you should never have “too much weed” in your system.
Finally, try never to combine alcohol with cannabis. These two substances can play off each other and take you from “I’m fine” to “HOLY-F#cking-Sh!t” in a matter of minutes. However, if you are combining alcohol and cannabis (not recommended), then it’s always better to consume the weed first and the alcohol second.
The other way around will intensify the alcohol and raise the blood-alcohol levels in your bloodstream. This then usually is followed by nausea, the inability to walk or talk and eventually you’ll be hugging a toilet vomiting the night away.
Just avoid alcohol and cannabis and this should never happen to you.
What if I’m “Greened out”…what do I do?
The first thing is to never panic. You can’t die from weed-alone. Even if you are having a “bad time”, try to relax. Take a hot shower, get some water, and eat some food. Find a place where you can “ride it out”.
The golden rule of any psychoactive substance is; “If it goes up, it must come down!” All you have to do is go with the flow and try to sleep. In the morning, you’ll be right as a ray of sunshine.
Another thing you can do is have some CBD oil available. CBD is a neuro-controller and counter-acts the effects of THC. Take a few deep pulls from a vaporizer, hold it in your lungs for a good 3-5 seconds and slowly release.
Do this until you have a firm grip on reality….then simply go to sleep.
Greening out might not be the most “fun” experience, but on the positive, after this guide you should know how to deal with it if it ever happens to you.
GREENING OUT, WHAT IS IT?
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