Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

I've been a bit slow getting around to posting this, but wanted to finally share my experience at Mellow Yellow and tell everyone how great those guys are, despite my acutal experience being rather a nightmare.

(although this happened several months ago, this is based on notes I wrote down the day after, so it's not distorted by an imperfect memory)

Last October, I was in Amsterdam for the first time and planned for several weeks before the trip to try pot for the first time ever while I was there (a true 40+ year old virgin, as far as pot is concerned). Based on reviews on this site, I decided I'd visit Mellow Yellow for this experience, and although it didn't turn out anything like I had expected or hoped, it's clear I picked the right place to "pop my cherry". So after having a nice dinner, I made my way over to Mellow Yellow, and I told the guys up front that it was my first time ever, and they were very helpful and encouraging. No condescending attitudes at all. They were great.

I bought 1g of super silver haze and went upstairs to try it with their volcano vaporizer, which was set at 190C. The first time the shop guy set it up, put a small bud piece a bit larger than pea in the holder, unground. There was no visible vapor in the bag, and no sensation when inhaling other than of warm air, but I could taste the weed when exhaling (with a sudden enlightenment as to why they call it "skunk" ;-). I inhaled the whole bag in three hits, holding my breath for around 30 secs each hit. I then waited around 10 mins, but felt no effect. So I did a second bag using the same bud/holder with the same results. Full bag of air but no discernable vapor. I waited 10 more minutes, but no effect. Nothing. This then is over 30 mins since my first hit. I decided I was using too little weed and that it should also be ground up (I'm a rather big guy, so I figured it'd take more THC to have an affect, similar to how alcohol affects me, taking more for me than most other folks to feel drunk) so I reloaded the volcano with a whole bud, ground up. The next bag had a lightly visible vapor, and a definite sensation when inhaling, and a much stronger flavor exhaling. I took two deep full hits, making it through abt 3/4 of the bag. I felt a constant urge to cough, and did slightly a few times though I tried to resist. I didn't finish the whole bag.

Then it all went downhill, fast, and badly.

My throat started to feel a bit sore and my tongue felt thick. After a few mins I felt very dizzy and sweaty. I focused on breathing slowly and tried some basic meditation, telling myself to relax and reminding myself that (supposedly) no one ever OD's on pot. Over the next 5 mins or so, I felt more and more disoriented, and in a disturbingly scary "out of control" way, not like being drunk where you are aware of your impairment, but otherwise feel in control. I felt like my body wouldn't necessarily respond to my brain's commands. I had a harder and harder time breathing and was sweating really heavily. My tongue felt like it had swelled to fill my entire mouth and my lips felt like they do after a trip to the dentist's office, fat and numb. I told myself, it's just a panic attack or paranoia like I've read about. I'm fine. Just relax and it will pass, etc. But my throat started to swell and close off, making it very hard to breathe. Air was coming in small short little gasps.

I got so dizzy and disoriented that I had no clear sensation of which way was "up", and had to hold on to the table and mentally tell myself which way up should be, based on the table, floor, etc. Finally, I felt like any moment I'd pass out from asphixiation, not being able to breathe, so I decided to try to go downstairs to see if less smoke and the cooler air might make it easier to breathe (the upstairs was rather smoky and warm). I somehow managed to get down the stairs, though it seemed to take me forever, and I was probably stupid to have even tried since I was so close to passing out (but I've got a pretty strong self-sufficient, independent attitude, and my ego wasn't yet ready to admit I probably needed some help). After making it to the bottom of the stairs, I had no choice but to sit down at a table just at the bottom, and very soon it got so hard to breathe that I started gasping loudly and trying to push my tongue down to stop it blocking my throat. I honestly thought "this is it, I'm about to pass out and die from asphyxiation... so much for being adventurous and trying new things...".

From my loud gasps and thrashing as I struggled to breathe, the staff finally noticed I wasn't doing too well and quickly helped me outside to sit on the bench just outside the shop. I guiltily admit that my first thought was "OK, clearly, they don't wan't to deal with the ramifications of my dying inside their shop, so they're just getting me out of there quick so they can just claim I was outside on the bench all along" ;-) But actually, they were great, and took care of me like champs. They immediately gave me a glass of warm sugar water to drink, holding it to my lips until I was able to hold the glass myself. The sugar water had an amazingly quick effect. Within 30 seconds I felt I could breathe enough to not feel I was about to pass out, and I felt alot clearer and not as dizzy and was hugely relieved (something of an understatement). I sat outside for about 30 minutes, also drinking a couple cokes that they brought me. In addition to the sugar water and coke, I think the fresh, cold air also helped alot. The entire time I was on that bench, someone from the shop stayed right with me, talking me through it and making sure I was OK and my condition was getting better. I had never met these guys before, but they acted like the best of friends.

I can't say strongly enough how incredibly GREAT the staff at Mellow Yellow were, as they helped me through a pretty scary situation. Thanks guys!!!! It wasn't a fun experience, as I had hoped it would be, but you made it alot better than it could have been.

I eventually was able to get up and walk around a bit, and after about a hour or so of walking around the town, I got a bit of food, which also seemed to help. It was at least two or three hours before I felt I was fully 'out of the woods' and recovered enough to stop walking around, and finally returned to my hotel to sleep. Still, even for most of the next day, my throat was sore and my tongue, lips, etc. still were a bit swollen, and I had a very tired, flu like feeling.

Reading up a bit on the net, following my harrowing experience, I've concluded that I'm in fact one of those rare and unfortunate individuals who is allergic to THC and that I went into anaphalactic shock once the level of THC in my system crossed a certain threshold. The shock was probably further compounded by a rapid drop in blood sugar, also due to the THC. The combination of the sugar water, coke, and cold clean air together helped to address both the allergic reaction and low blood sugar and I was able to slowly recover. It scares the shit out of me to think about what might have happened if I had simply decided to try pot for the first time alone in my hotel room (something I had actually considered).... Well, at least I have a "that time I almost died" story to tell in my old age ;-)

Not sure if I'll be trying 'shrooms as I had also thought to do (at least not without an epi-pen and a qualified physician present ;-)

Again, my deepest thanks and appreciation to the staff at Mellow Yellow that night. You guys are the greatest!

And my strong advice to anyone considering trying pot, or any such substance: do it in the presence of folks who know what to do if things go badly!

hehe...Sorry but you story made me LOL. Even the most hardened of us pull a whitey every now and then

Good to hear that the mellow yellow staff eased your panic for you a bit Rather like tripping, a change of scenery normally takes your mind away from the panic attack.

Give it another go, you will probably find you are attuned to the buzz easier next time without hitting back a full gram of haze (the worst for paranoia, I find)

You smoked a LOT for your first time, dude. Super Silver Haze is a strong strain.

I guess you won't be going back to try more, but thanks for the story, glad u were ok in the end! Sweet story about the guys from MY!

ohm sweet ohm wrote:hehe...Sorry but you story made me LOL. Even the most hardened of us pull a whitey every now and then

You must have taken some crazy ass whiteys .
If your tongue swelled and your throat closed up.
Sounds more like an allergic reaction to me right enough .

i guess many people would have reacted the same way if they smoked that much for their first time.

but for your next try (this advise was given in another thread but can´t find it now): roll a spliff, take some puffs, leave it in the ashtray, wait 10 min, take some more puffs, and so on... so you can stop before it blows your lights out, and you can enjoy your expierence! =)

nice one from the MY crew!

moby69 wrote: You must have taken some crazy ass whiteys .
If your tongue swelled and your throat closed up.
Sounds more like an allergic reaction to me right enough .

Oh yes! I have, esp after mixing buckets with acid

I have found over the years, the most common form of paranoia inexperienced smokers get, is thinking they can't breathe.

moby69 wrote:

ohm sweet ohm wrote:hehe...Sorry but you story made me LOL. Even the most hardened of us pull a whitey every now and then :lol:

You must have taken some crazy ass whiteys .
If your tongue swelled and your throat closed up.
Sounds more like an allergic reaction to me right enough .

I probably did in fact "pull a whitey" (though I didn't feel the least bit sick as if I might throw up). But my experience (and subsequent research of similar experiences) suggests it was far more than that. The fact that my throat was sore and my tongue still a bit swollen for most of the following day suggests it was not simply a "panic attack", but a definite reaction. Whether it was a true allergic reaction or something else, I'll never know (and don't intend to repeat the "experiment" ;-)

My main reason for posting was to say "thanks" to the guys at Mellow Yellow and give them the credit and cudos they deserve.

allergic to THC? hahaha lol ur a funny man

I'd say you had a reaction to the chemicals used to grow the weed that hadn't been flushed out properly more so than an actual allergy to the thc itself.

oooh this makes me recall one of my first ever joints.... now given im not a regular smoker of tobacco and dont use the stuff in my smoke

after an overnighter at my gf's, she gave me a nicely rolled joint mixed with tobacco, to take home with me

anyways i took this home and smoked the hole lot in one sitting......

my first ever whitey hit big time... i just about managed to get to the bathroom n promptley threw up... stayed there for a few mins to recover then headed back downstairs n enjoyed the rest of the evening

im sure it was the tobacco that made me sick as ive never had a problem since

i think everybody's whiteyed one time or another, a rite of passage i suppose.

but man, sucks to hear about being allergic. that must seriously suck!

im the same when i smoke tobacco mixed joints makes me feel rotten. i stick to pure rolled b-boys & bongs.

I'm not particularly a big fan of joints with tobacco simply because it makes your mouth taste like you've licked the sheets on a prostitute's bed. Now joints packed with green is a different matter fortunately I haven't whiteyd off smoking cannabis but tobacco makes me feel like I want to.

IMHO, I think that rather than being allergic to THC, you were not used to smoking and you also had a paranoia/panic attack.

Vaporizors still have to heat the weed to very high temperatures (not as hot as they get when smoking, but still very hot) so it makes sense that your throat was sore for a few days, as it could be with smoking. THe soreness was NOT due tio allergic reaction.

Also, warm sugar water solution (and or some cokes) would NOT stop a severe anaphylactic shock. You would require much more powerful drugs, like those in an epipen (adrenaline, I think) to keep your airways open.

As stated by others, you, likely, only had a panic attack. In a panic attack, sometimes, you can focus on one thing and one thing only until it almost becomes a reality (i.e. self fulfilling event)

Anyone remember the one where you think your throat is dry then you keep swallowing, until your throat really does become dry due to overswallowing.

I suspect that you will, now, be put off weed. That is a shame, but also understandable. A frightrening experience is not mich fun to repeat.

If you do try it again, I'd suggest that you 1) smoke/vape with an expericed friend and 2) take a toke or two (hold for about 1 minute) and then take no more. (If no effect, then eait another day and try 3 or 4 tokes). Take baby steps, not giant leaps!

I know many folks who do not get high the first time they smoke a joint. Indeed, for some, it takes up to a few times to get high.

What you did was give yourself a fairly large amount, in several attempts, because the effects did not happen immediately. Luckily, you did not try space-cake. (Some folks say the reason the space-cakes in Amsterdam are not as strong as they used to be, is because some Yank tourists, would eat one, and because they weren't high in 15 minutes, then eat another.....and so in one hour when they did kick in... they were way too high.. AND were high for over 7 hours.....Not what they had bargained for and they fell into the canals. )

I am sorry that you had a bad experience.

I agree with the above post

Also, nice tho the MY dudes obviously were, they possibly shouldn't have sold you the stronger (and expensive) SSH. Orange bud or thai probably would have made u happier