Is It Possible To Be Allergic To Marijuana?

Is It Possible To Be Allergic To Marijuana?

Can You Be Allergic To Marijuana? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

Sadly…. The answer is yes.

Marijuana, just like any other plant that contains pollen, can cause allergic reactions in (unlucky) people. Exposure to cannabis can trigger symptoms that resemble just about any other kind of allergy: sneezing, asthma, chest tightness, headaches, swollen eyes, and hives. But the allergies can be more serious for other people, since anaphylactic shock can actually happen in extreme cases. While cannabis allergies are rare, the number of incidences are growing because more states are legalizing marijuana which means that more people are exposed to allergens especially those who work in cultivation.

Higher Incidences Expected

A paper was recently published by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Dr. Tonya Rans and Dr. Thad Ocampo, authors of the paper, extensively researched on cannabis allergies although it focused on cannabis sativa.. The findings show that while cannabis allergies are rare, they can possibly be fatal too. To diagnose a marijuana allergy, doctors also employ a skin test, which is the same procedure used in diagnosing other kinds of allergies. However, since evidence shows that severe cases of cannabis allergies can actually be fatal, the scientific community is looking for safer testing alternatives instead of using the actual plant.

Rans and Ocampo studied different ways that the allergy can manifest in certain people. One of the study’s participants was a 28 year old who was diagnosed with a marijuana allergy after she experienced bouts of multiple sneezes, cold-like symptoms, swollen eyes, and hives after she held the plant. There was another more serious case, which is a patient who suffered anaphylatic shock after consuming seafood encrusted with hemp seeds. The said patient passed a seafood allergy test which made doctors look for other factors that may have caused her allergy. They concluded that hemp was the culprit.

Since marijuana is still illegal to many states, cases of marijuana allergies still remain largely unreported and undocumented. But the changing landscape of marijuana reform has the potential to increase diagnoses. “With state laws allowing medical and in some cases recreational use of marijuana, there is a growing potential for legitimate personal and commercial exposure,” the study says. “The evolving legal status of [cannabis],its highly prevalent use throughout the world, and the varied forms in which it is used could translate into its growing role as a clinically relevant allergen that might be encountered.”

Treatment Options

Earlier this year, a study was published by a Colorado-based allergist named William Silvers.

He took into account three of his patients all of whom suffered from marijuana allergies. The study gives us a good look into the experience of an allergist who lives in a state where cannabis is legal, and how he handles these allergies.

PIECE OF MARIJUANA BUD

Patient 1 smoked pot frequently. He suffered from nasal congestion and was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis due to his sensitivity to both indoor and outdoor allergens. His situation worsened and turned into a chronic cough when he started working as a trimmer in a cultivation facility. He was given an inhaler and nasal spray to treat his symptoms.

BLOATED ON CANNABIS

Patient 2 never had a history of allergies or asthma. However, he began to manifest symptoms of cannabis allergies when he was exposed to the plant during his work at a dispensary and marijuana growth facility. His symptoms included swollen eyes, hay fever, and contact dermatitis with cannabis; so he was diagnosed with asthma that became worse with his marijuana sensitivity. To reduce his symptoms, he was advised to limit his exposure to the plant as much as possible and was prescribed medications which helped greatly improve his condition.

SMOKING CANNABIS

Patient 3 has been a chronic smoker for 10 years who already had a history of asthma. He was referred to Dr. Silvers by emergency department staff after he suffered from what was thought to be anaphylactic shock after he was exposed to marijuana smoke. Patient 3 admitted that he had smoked some concentrates with 60-70% THC levels, whereas dispensary marijuana typically contains up to around 25% THC at most. His pollen tests were negative and he didn’t show any sensitivity to cannabis extracts. It was concluded that the concentrate product might have contained an additive or contaminant that the patient was allergic to.

Dr. Silvers also adds, “The relative paucity of these presentations since legalization of marijuana in Colorado suggests that cannabis sativa is a mild allergen, with significant exposure required to elicit respiratory and dermatologic allergic reactions.”

If you suspect that you might be allergic to marijuana, the best thing to do is still go to see an allergist. But if you have already been smoking for a long time and noticed that the allergy symptoms manifested themselves after trying a new product or strain, it is possible that there may have been fillers or ingredients added that you are allergic to. If you smoked old weed, it might have been the mold. To decrease your chances of developing a cannabis allergy, make sure that you are only using top-quality fresh bud and cannabis products each time, every time.

But if you are one of the unlucky few who suffer from chronic allergies to marijuana no matter what kind of treatment is given, you’ll need to stay away altogether.

Can You Be Allergic To Cannabis Weed?