A few years ago,  me and my friends — let’s call them Tim, Bonny, and Michael — decided to take a Spring Break trip together. We debated for a few days on where to go, then finally decided to go skiing in Colorado. 

The stars aligned perfectly. My mom said she’d lend us her car. Tim’s family had a timeshare we could stay in. And, we were all in desperate need of a break.

Arriving at a Dispensary 

We got to Colorado and settled in at the timeshare. There were a few errands we needed to run, such as buying food and getting our gear. At some point, Michael suggested we visit a dispensary. 

The facility was definitely a novel experience. Weed wasn’t legal where I was from, and I had limited exposure to it. After we looked at all the options, my friends bought a few items and we left. 

I had already decided I wouldn’t be smoking weed or eating any edibles. I wasn’t against it, but I was worried that some of the medications I took daily would not mix well with marijuana.

The Drive After Dinner 

We went out to eat the first night because we were too exhausted to cook. We ate at an Irish pub that was about 20 minutes from the timeshare. 

Before we left, Tim, Bonny, and Micheal decided to try some edibles, because they knew I was sober enough to drive them home. I would like to add that at no time did they ever pressure me into doing anything. Either way, I was perfectly happy to be the designated driver. 

The drive was comical to me. They’d laugh at the mile markers along the highway. At one point, they busted a gut doing SpongeBob impressions. All-in-all, the drive wasn’t bad. However, towards the end, I noticed that Michael began to turn gray. 

The Chaos Begins 

For reasons that were explained to me later, Michael had developed motion sickness. That in itself wasn’t alarming, because it happened all the time. However, he didn’t tell me that he’d run out of Dramamine, which he took before long drives.

Weed elevates your experience, so Michael had become abnormally and overly motion sick. As soon as I parked the car, he jumped out and tried to run to the room. He only made it a few steps. To our shock, he then dropped down and puked on the sidewalk. Tim and Bonny were also high, so they freaked out and didn’t know what to do.

I told Tim to go to the room and bring the small trashcan. I then ran to the front desk and embarrassingly told them my friend had puked on the sidewalk and I had nothing to clean it up with. They said they’d take care of it. 

When I returned to my friends, Tim had put the trashcan in front of Michael and was keeping his distance. With some kind of motherly strength, I picked him up and carried him to the room, while Tim held the trashcan under him just in case. 

The Next Long Hours 

I put Michael on the floor and kept the trashcan nearby. Bonny got a cold water bottle and I tried to use it to cool him down. I noticed that Tim and Bonny were pacing the kitchen in a slight panic, so I told them to go to bed. They did.

It became clear very quickly that Michael was either not well enough or too confused to hold his head over the trashcan by himself. He had long hair with the sides shaved, so I held it back while he puked his guts out. It was disgusting.

This went on for about two hours, at the end of which, he promptly passed out. I figured he was okay, so I dragged him into the bigger bathroom. There, he could lay on the cool tile and be close to the toilet. I watched over him for another hour. 

When he didn’t look like he was too sickly anymore, I grabbed the sheet off my bed to cover him so he wouldn’t get too cold. I put a pillow under his head, a water bottle next to him, and paper towels nearby in case he threw up again. Then, I finally went to bed.

The Next Day 

I woke up in the morning with Michael laying next to me. He had become confused when he woke up in the middle of the night and apparently crawled into my bed by mistake. It was weird, but I was relieved that there was color in his face again. I left him sleeping. 

I then found Bonny and Tim making me a 5-star breakfast in the kitchen. They felt super horrible when they sobered up and realized what had happened. I honestly wasn’t bothered. They would do the same for me.

And, hey, I got a great story out of it. Michael was completely recovered once he woke up. My friends don’t remember everything, but I won’t forget that night.

A Few Last Words

Turns out weed isn’t completely harmless. I’m told incidents like these don’t usually happen, but apparently, it’s not impossible. Looking back on the situation, I’m glad I was sober and could handle everything.

Worst-case scenario, Michael could have inhaled his own vomit and died. I’m so glad that didn’t happen. We wouldn’t be the same without him.

About the Author

Katherine Penney is 23 years old and from a small town in Arkansas. She’s new to the writing world, but very excited. Follow her humorous Instagram @writingwithkattp.