Marijuana Allergies: Fact or Myth?

In the growing era of medical marijuana acceptance, legalization, and tolerance we are faced with some odd hurdles. Often those hurdles are antiquated political views. That’s to be expected; people are often slow to change—especially when their ideals have sat with them for entire lives. Other times, however, the hurdles are found to be strange and unexpected. Enter marijuana allergies. Yes, we said it right.

Some people are allergic to marijuana.

That’s a weird one to wrap your head around. You think of it as a great natural tool to alleviate pain, enhance your appetite, and provide safe relief from debilitating conditions. But for some, it is another medication to add to their “can’t use it” list.

We’ll go into what a marijuana allergy looks like in just a second, but first, we need to be absolutely clear: we are not offering medical advice. While the facts presented here are from sound medical professionals, I am personally not one (despite my intimate familiarity with WebMD). Take the words given here as a jumping off point into the research of marijuana allergies. If you suspect you have one, talk to a medical professional.

A Strange Occurrence

An allergy is your body saying “this is too much, I can’t deal”. Your immune system gets overloaded when exposed to something that is normally considered harmless or low risk. Think of all of the people who are allergic to shellfish, peanuts, dairy, gluten, and more. None of those are harmful (usually), but some immune systems are hypersensitive to them. Certain people have that same hypersensitivity but with cannabis.

If you are allergic to marijuana, it is vital that you know the signs and symptoms. There are quite a few. For example, you may get itchy red eyes. While that might just be normal physical changes that occur with marijuana inhalation, it could be a sign of an allergy.

Other symptoms include:

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• Hay Fever
• Congestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sneezing

In more severe cases you could experience anaphylactic shock—the sudden nosedive in blood pressure and cessation of breathing. That appears to be a rare occurrence, but it has happened. The extreme symptoms are mostly related to an allergy to hempseed, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.

Think of it like someone with a nut allergy. They might not experience the worst symptoms, but that one time that they accidentally eat too many nuts they go into shock. It’s a freaky thought to be sure. It can happen, and it has. But the chances of having a marijuana allergy are low.

In any case, if you are allergic the common symptoms are the lesser-invasive ones. Not much to freak out about there, but it is something to consider. Is your lifestyle or choice of natural medicine conducive to good health or is it an annoyance. Is it detrimental? Those are the tough questions to ask, but they could save your life. Always, always, put your health first when it comes to any choice of medication. That includes medical marijuana.

Marijuana allergies are not so common, but reports of them do exist. This could be due to the fear of the law in regards to seeking out hospital treatment after ingesting a plant that is not yet legal in a specific area. Fear can be a barrier to treatment. Someone experiencing an allergic reaction to any drug would be afraid of prosecution if treatment were sought. That’s not true in all cases, but it can’t be denied. It speaks more to the state of intolerance in our nation than anything.

Regardless, if you are allergic to medical marijuana in any form you more than likely already experienced signs. Remember those common symptoms? You’ll know if you have it. Or, at least you’ll have an idea.

Looking Forward

What does this mean for the medical marijuana industry? For starters, it may mean more studies focusing on the reactions different groups have when in contact with marijuana and related pollens. Tests could be done to compare smokers versus non-smokers in certain areas. The sky’s the limit, and science is sure to do their darndest to crack the case.

As far as getting a medical marijuana card is concerned, there is no barrier yet. If you don’t have an allergy to marijuana, you are good to go. If you think that you may, there is still nothing stopping you from pursuing a medical card, though you should consult with an allergy expert to be clear.

Regardless, Veriheal is here to help you. We can answer your questions. If you have concerns, fears, and hesitations don’t be afraid to reach out to us. Our focus is on compassion. We want to get you treated and treated right.