Can You Be Allergic To Cannabis

While you may think it sounds a bit weird, you can be allergic to cannabis. Just like people can be allergic to virtually anything else, marijuana is no exception. With weed being legalized and more accepted than ever before for medical and recreational purposes, an increasing number of people are noticing some strange reactions to the green stuff! Not only can you be allergic to marijuana products, but you might have discomfort from the actual marijuana plant.

From a runny nose to sneezing and coughing, you may not be experiencing seasonal allergies, but instead a marijuana allergy. To learn more about true cannabis allergies, you should be aware of the most common symptoms, causes of the allergy, and how you can be diagnosed. Are you ready? Let’s take a closer look to determine whether you might have a legitimate marijuana allergy!

If you have an allergic reaction to marijuana, what will you feel like? What kind of symptoms will you have? Similar to any other type of allergy, you might have some coughing, sneezing, and itching. But, you could have a wide array of symptoms. Between respiratory issues and severe reactions, don’t take marijuana allergy symptoms lightly. 

Respiratory symptoms can be a tell-tale sign you have an allergic reaction to marijuana. While coughing is synonymous with smoking weed, sometimes it’s excessive, which could signal an allergy. In some cases, the respiratory symptoms of a marijuana allergy can be similar to asthma symptoms, including wheezing, difficulty breathing, and other bronchial challenges. If you don’t have asthma and have these symptoms, your reaction to marijuana exposure could be an allergic one. Additionally, asthmatics might have to deal with cannabis-induced asthma episodes.

In some cases, a cannabis allergy might appear as nasal congestion, where you feel stuffy and uncomfortable. When this is the case, some people confuse their allergic symptoms with hay fever. Additionally, some folks might feel some chest tightness. If you continue to feel these symptoms after cannabis consumption or are around somebody who smokes, an allergic reaction might be the issue. 

Sometimes, your skin might alert you to the fact you are having an allergic response to cannabis. Cannabis consumers can experience cutaneous reactions when their skin reacts to them having contact with cannabis. For example, after you’ve consumed or had skin contact with marijuana, you might notice a rash or hives. Your skin might be red or look irritated. Some people might have to contend with skin swelling and inflammation. These allergic symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable and might have you looking for potential allergens. However, it could be right in your hand!

Skin reactions don’t just come from consumption. In many cases, the major allergen is the plant or its flowers. Just touching the plant can cause these adverse effects. As a result, you should limit your exposure to the plant to avoid having an unpleasant reaction to cannabis.

With Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), in many cases, food is the common allergen, but cannabis can also be the culprit. According to Allergic Living, marijuana can trigger the syndrome, which is also known as pollen-food syndrome. For those folks who have environmental allergies to tree pollen, they can experience symptoms when they eat specific fruits and veggies. Similarly, they can have a similar reaction due to a cannabis sativa allergy.

When it comes to the immune system, the proteins in common fruits and vegetables look the same as those found in tobacco and marijuana. As such, the person will have symptoms like tingling and itchiness of the mouth when they consume marijuana or touch or handle the leaves of the sativa plant. People with cannabis-fruit/vegetable syndrome should avoid direct contact with marijuana and be aware of cross-reactions between stone fruits and hemp or marijuana seeds.

For some people, an allergic reaction to marijuana can be quite severe. One of the worst is an anaphylactic reaction where the throat swells and closes. As you can imagine, this can be quite a scary situation. During this type of reaction, after cannabis consumption, the body triggers an influx of antibodies, which “causes the immune system to flood the body with histamine in an attempt to fight the allergen,” according to the Allergy & Asthma Network.  

Adverse events can occur within a few seconds to a few minutes. Common symptoms include abdominal cramps, a drop in blood pressure, and difficulty breathing due to the airways narrowing or filling with fluid. When a person goes into anaphylactic shock, the epinephrine auto-injector should be used as soon as possible to avoid even more serious complications. After using the auto-injectable epinephrine, seek out medical attention because this allergic disease could cause a loss of consciousness and even death.

Once you have a cannabis allergy, you want to know the cause, right? Most definitely! If you’re dealing with an adverse reaction, you don’t want to deal with it, so you need to get to the bottom of it. Cannabis consumers should be aware of several common causes to help them understand how to handle a cannabis product.

One of the most common causes of a cannabis sativa allergy is exposure to cannabis pollen or smoke. When it comes to allergies to pollen, passive exposure to the allergen can lead to allergic sensitization. Even without direct exposure, your body can react and activate triggers in the body. Allergic sensitization can occur as you continue to get exposed to marijuana. Therefore, cannabis sensitization can begin to happen when you experience symptoms every time you’re in contact with marijuana plants or various strains of cannabis.

Cannabis consumers aren’t the only people who can be allergic patients when it comes to cannabis. You can experience cannabis allergic symptoms even when you don’t smoke because passive exposure to plants and cannabis products is enough. When you inhale smoke or marijuana pollen, the airborne allergen can trigger an allergic reaction. Repeated exposure can further lead to a sensitization to cannabis. 

An allergy to marijuana could be the result of occupational exposure. People like cannabis growers who work around marijuana for a long time can experience allergic sensitization. For some, it’s more of a selective cannabis strain allergy where they have problems with only certain strains of cannabis. To understand the cause of occupational allergies better, it’s crucial to look at the patient history to see how it correlates with various strains of cannabis. In some cases, it can be as simple as avoiding those strains. In other cases, you might have to stay away from all types of cannabis. 

To determine whether you have true cannabis allergies, you need to visit a doctor to determine the type of cannabis allergens you are dealing with and the cause. Your doctor will often go over your symptoms and review your clinical history before testing and coming up with a plan of action.

One of the most common forms of testing to check for allergens is the skin prick test. Your doctor will prick you with a wide variety of diluted relevant allergens, including marijuana, and observe for about 15 minutes. They will see what type, if any, of reaction or adverse symptoms you have to see if you have true cannabis allergies.

Another way to determine if you have true cannabis allergies is using blood testing as a diagnostic tool. Blood diagnostic tests allow your doctor to check for the presence of antibodies to cannabis. This is one of the best ways to determine if you are allergic to marijuana since you wouldn’t have antibodies otherwise. Specifically, the IgE antibody test is the gold standard since levels of IgE will be elevated if you have an allergy.

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