How to help a friend who is greening out from cannabis

21st April, 2017    |    By  NCPIC    |     2.5k

Greening out is feeling sick, anxious or paranoid from using weed. Hosts, Max and Sai, use everyday language to describe what greening out is, why it happens, and how you can help a friend.


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Cannabis Safe Partying

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How to help a friend who is greening out from cannabis

Hi, I’m Max, and this is Side. You might be watching this video because you’ve seen a friend get sick while using weed, or you’re worried that they’re going to. So, in the next few minutes, I’m going to talk about what happens when someone who’s using marijuana greens out and what you can do to help them.

To kick off, cannabis can make you feel high. For some people, that means they become really talkative, while others go really quiet and drowsy. You can also become anxious or paranoid. Greening out can occur when you’re not used to using marijuana, when you give it too much, or when you mix it with drugs and alcohol. It’s really scary to watch, and just as scary to experience. As a good mate, if your friend is greening out, it’s important you step in so things don’t get worse.

Some obvious signs that your friend is greening out include them becoming pale, dizzy, nauseous, or sweating. If that happens, they’re probably going to want to lie down as soon as possible. The first decision in what to do is to work out how “green” your friend is. If they’re not vomiting yet, they’re only a little bit green. In that case, you need to be an ace friend. Firstly, you need to give them some air—take them into the fresh air away from the party. C is for comfortable—make sure they’re relaxed, sitting up, and supported. A is for eat and drink—give them something to eat and drink, like fruit juice or water.

If your friend is vomiting, it means they’re coming in greener. If this happens, always remember C: is for company. Stay with them so they have company. A is for recovery—lay them in the recovery position, which is on their side, not on their back, so they don’t choke on vomit. S is for safe—make sure they’re in a safe, secluded spot.

The final scenario is when greening out means freaking out. When some people take marijuana, they find it affects their mind, making them feel anxious, depressed, or even leading to panic attacks or paranoia. In those situations, you need to remember CARE. C is for calm—stay with your friend and keep them calm. A is for assist—assist them in doing what they want to do so they feel like everything is okay. R is for reassure—reassure them that they’re going to be alright and that you’re there for them. E is for ease—ease them into other conversation topics so they get distracted.

If none of this is working, or right from the start, you feel you can’t handle the situation, then make sure you call the ambulance on triple zero and ensure a professional is looking after them. The next time your friend goes to smoke pot, remind them what happened last time, and if you’re really concerned, suggest they go and see their doctor to find out if what happened last time will happen again.

Well, that’s it from us for now. If you want to find out how cannabis affects your body and mind, please check out our other videos or our website. If you have a question that you feel we haven’t answered, just leave us a comment below or email us from our website so we can put a quick video together for you. See you next time.