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Just like many other plants and pollens, cannabis can also create adverse allergic effects on people. However, the symptoms may vary from person to person. In this article, we’ll tell you how cannabis can trigger allergic reactions, how to know if you have a cannabis allergy, and the natural treatments to prevent and remedy them.
How Cannabis Causes Allergic Reactions
Allergic reactions from cannabis are becoming common nowadays. In America, there are over 50 million people who experience some form of allergic reactions. Although there is no specific method to tell whether the allergy is from cannabis, the pollen from marijuana can be the primary reason why people get cannabis allergy. This makes pollen the leading cause of cannabis allergy.
When people are exposed to cannabis, this can create a high sensitivity to the plant. By nature, cannabis is dioecious. This means, that this plant has two genders: male and female. The female plants and male plants are separated by cultivators.
Cultivators typically grow female plants because they have more buds, which means female cannabis contains more of the components that provide health benefits. And THC and CBD are the two most common cannabinoids. The male cannabis plants are sometimes discarded because they contain fewer buds, and therefore, contain less THC.
When marijuana strains are cultivated and created, some types of strains contain higher THC. In effect, this can possibly trigger allergic reactions when people are exposed to higher THC. The more you are exposed to cannabis allergens, the more you develop sensitivity to cannabis. Here are four ways you can get exposed to cannabis allergens:
- Smoking cannabis
- Eating cannabis
- Touching cannabis
- Inhaling pollen
Signs of Having Cannabis Allergy
Whether you’re trying out cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes, ensure that you try it in a small dosage. This gives you time to assess if you have an allergic sensitivity to the plant. Secondly, ensure that you also buy high-grade strains from good online dispensary stores. The best cannabis dispensaries source their strains from reliable sources, which ensures that the cultivators are experts in horticulture.
If you haven’t tried cannabis, allergic reactions from the plant can occur minutes after getting exposed to it. However, in some cases, the symptoms may occur after an hour or more.
One way of getting cannabis allergy is when you’ve touched the plant. There is a 2007 study that showed cannabis causes skin irritations through a skin prick test. And the most common symptoms you need to watch out for are:
- Rashes
- Hives
- Angioedema
- Skin swelling
- Dry skin
- Scaly skin
- Red skin
Another way you can get the cannabis allergy is by smoking or inhaling marijuana allergens. Whenever this happens, your ocular or nasal systems are affected. The most typical symptoms when smoking or inhaling cannabis allergens are:
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Red eyes
- Runny nose
- Hay fever
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Minor asthma
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
Anaphylaxis is also another way cannabis can trigger allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis pertains to allergic reactions to insect stings, food, medication, and latex. Compared to the other types of allergic reactions, anaphylactic reactions are more severe and are life-threatening.
This happens when there is cross-reactivity with food or any type of allergens. Some food types that cause allergic reactions may be chestnuts, almonds, peaches, tomatoes, eggplant, apples, bananas, or grapefruit. For instance, if people are naturally allergic to some types of food and are ingesting or smoking marijuana, these symptoms can occur:
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Low blood pressure
- Difficulty breathing
- Weak pulse
- Increased heart rate
- Swollen tongue or throat
- Itchy skin
Natural Treatments
Whenever you feel these symptoms after being exposed to cannabis, there are a few home remedies you can try to mitigate them. Here are a few:
- Put the cannabis away
- Change your clothes and shower
- Use high-quality air purifiers
- Drink herbal teas
- Consume local or raw honey
Another way you can prevent cannabis allergy is to use a vaporizer instead of smoking cannabis. As for touching, you might have to check initially if you are allergic to cannabis by touching it and waiting for a few minutes.
AUTHOR BIO:
Lily Brooks is a passionate blogger who loves to write about innovative ideas on promoting mental and physical health.
Image source: Hinterland co.