By Miguel Ordoñez Reviewed by: Carles Doménech


Could you have a marijuana allergy? It's not uncommon to cough a little or reach for the eye drops after a few good tokes. But if you find yourself experiencing concerning physical discomfort, it could be down to an allergic reaction.

Cannabis allergies are underdiagnosed, and can even strike experienced smokers who've never had problems in the past. As marijuana becomes more available, people are being exposed to cannabis and its pollen like never before. Cannabis allergies are becoming more common.

But, how can you tell if you have a cannabis allergy? Here's everything you need to know, from symptoms to diagnosis and beyond.

WHAT CAN TRIGGER AN ALLERGIC REACTION?

Allergic reactions to cannabis may mimic seasonal allergies or food intolerances. They can be triggered by:

• Smoking or touching dried flowers, resins, or oils
• Ingesting CBD oil
• Eating edibles
• Exposure to airborne pollen or mould
• Touching dried flowers, resins, or oils + UV light contact (phytophotodermatitis)

We'll get deeper into causes and risk factors soon. For now, let’s go over the telltale signs that you could have a marijuana allergy.

SYMPTOMS OF A CANNABIS ALLERGY

Symptoms of a weed allergy usually present 20–30 minutes after exposure. If you're trying to identify an allergic reaction, keep an eye out for:

• Mainly, red, itchy, or watery eyes.
• Rhinitis, runny nose, or sneezing
Nasal congestion
• Post-nasal drip
• Productive cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Sore or itchy throat
• Gastric cramping
• Nausea and vomiting
• Itchy skin
• Rashes or swelling under the skin's surface

Keep in mind that symptoms may vary depending on the individual, how and how frequently you came into contact with cannabis, as well as how much cannabis you've consumed. If you experience discomfort after pollen exposure or smoking, you might have symptoms similar to seasonal allergies. Ingesting edibles could result in gastric issues and rashes. Skin reactions can also occur after physically handling the plant.

SYMPTOMS OF A CANNABIS ALLERGY

SIGNS OF AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION

While more serious reactions are rare, severe cannabis allergies can result in anaphylaxis. Symptoms of anaphylaxis are sudden, appearing within a few minutes of exposure. The resulting chain reaction can throw the body into a state of shock. Anaphylactic shock is life-threatening, and requires immediate treatment with a shot of adrenaline (like an EpiPen) and steroids.

If you experience or witness the signs of an anaphylactic reaction, seek emergency medical attention. Signs include:

• Hives, itching, reddening, and swelling of the skin
• Shortness of breath, wheezing, respiratory distress
• Vomiting, abdominal cramps
• A weak, rapid pulse
• Reduced blood pressure, dizziness, fainting

RISK FACTORS FOR A CANNABIS ALLERGY

Cannabis allergies can strike in different ways, even affecting those who have never been allergic. Narrowing down the exact cause of an allergic reaction may take some sleuthing, but it helps to be aware of risk factors.

How much cannabis you consume, whether you have other pre-existing allergies, and your proximity to grow operations can all affect how likely you are to develop a marijuana allergy.

EXPOSURE AND SENSITISATION

Sensitisation is when your body develops an allergy following repeated exposure. If you live in an area where the plant is cultivated, you could be at greater risk for developing allergic reactions. While pollen is typically produced by male plants, female plants with hermaphroditic male flowers can also spread particles through the air.

Tragically, sensitisation may also be linked to cannabis consumption—in any form—or even simply linked to touching the plant’s leaves. In one Spanish study, researchers administered cannabis skin-prick tests to patients in an allergy clinic. They found that marijuana smokers, on average, reacted more frequently compared to non-smokers. The reaction was even more prevalent in those who reported frequent consumption.

As laws begin to relax around cannabis, large-scale cultivation and easier access means heightened exposure to potential allergens. On the flipside, increased awareness and new research into marijuana allergy treatment and prevention can't be far behind.

STRAIN AND THC CONTENT

A case report from the 1970s[1] indicates that, for one individual, THC itself could be the problem. Over the decades, cannabis plants have been bred to contain more and more THC. Whether this could potentially be linked to cases of cannabis allergy is deserving of further study. Moreover, a 2021[2] case report on a man with a local allergic reaction to cannabis suggests that sativa-dominant strains are more prone to causing an allergic reaction in the individual than indica. However, this is not necessarily indicative of a broader pattern, and the study authors themselves say that such results are inconsistent with the individual's past allergic reactions.

Solomatic CBD 

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 Solomatic CBD

Genetic background Diesel CBD x Asia CBD Auto
Yield indoor 425 - 475 g/m2
Height indoor 90 - 120 cm
Flowering time 7 - 8 weeks
THC strength THC: 1% (aprox.) / CBD: 21%
Blend 20% Sativa, 70% Indica, 10% Ruderalis
Yield outdoor 110 - 150 g/per plant (dried)
Height outdoor 110 - 150 cm
Harvest Month 9-10 weeks after planting
Effect Soft, Clean and very light
 

Solomatic CBD

 

PRE-EXISTING ALLERGIES AND CROSS-REACTIVITY

A 2018 study suggests people with allergies to cat dander, mould, dust-mites, or other plants may be more likely to have a cannabis allergy. This study was small-scale and more research is needed to confirm the results; however, if you have any of the allergies mentioned, it's worth keeping in mind.

Along similar lines, allergies to certain foods can make your cannabis allergy more severe. This specifically applies to foods or substances with similar protein properties to cannabis. They are "cross-reactive" with cannabis and can trigger what's called cannabis-fruit-vegetable syndrome. Examples of foods that could be cross-reactive with cannabis are:

• Tomatoes
• Apples
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Eggplant
• Almonds
• Chestnuts
• Citrus

LET'S TALK ABOUT HEMP, BABY

We've talked a lot about cannabis allergies, but not all cannabis plants are created equal. Don't forget that hemp is also a variety of cannabis, albeit a non-psychoactive one. CBD oil and CBD products in general have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Most CBD oil is derived from industrial hemp, and it's possible to be allergic to CBD oil, just as it's possible to be allergic to psychoactive cannabis.

On the one hand, if someone is confirmed to be allergic to THC, they might fare better with isolated CBD products. On the other hand, pollen allergies or other triggers can still affect you even if you're not getting high. If you use CBD and notice any of the symptoms listed at the top of this article, your favourite CBD oils, topicals, vapes, or supplements could be the culprit. In case of previous allergic experience, the more secure option is to avoid contact with any product related to the probable allergen until you consult your doctor.

Hemp seeds are also found in a variety of food and drinks, so if you're allergic to hemp, you may be ingesting it inadvertently. If in any situation you suspect a hemp allergy, first check the ingredients of any food items you want to buy.

Products that are otherwise hemp-free can also be cross-contaminated if they're manufactured in the same facility as products that contain hemp. In many countries, this will be noted on the packaging under the ingredients list (for example, "may contain hemp, dairy, nuts, etc…").

LET'S TALK ABOUT HEMP

A NOTE ON MOULD

While the cannabis plant itself can cause allergic reactions, there is another possibility: mould. Phytophagous moulds also thrive in humid environments, and can ruin weed that isn't cured or stored properly.

To rule out this possibility and protect your health, store your buds for longevity in a dry, dark, cool place. It's worth it to pick up a proper storage container, like this curing pocket box (or a larger stash saver).

If you're a grower, learn how to identify, treat, and prevent mould. Even if you're just an occasional toker, check your buds. A suspicious white fuzz or gym locker scent means you're in trouble and should dump your stash. And why are we speaking about mould? Because this kind of phytophagous fungi can also induce allergic reactions. Hence, some allergies could be misidentified as a cannabis-triggered allergy, when the mould itself—not the herb—is the culprit.

DIAGNOSING A CANNABIS ALLERGY

So, how do you tell for sure if you're allergic to weed? It's a bit tricky, because there's currently no standard testing method for a cannabis allergy. To determine a diagnosis, your doctor might ask for a detailed history. You may need to keep a journal tracking your symptoms and consumption habits to determine a pattern.

If a cannabis allergy is strongly suspected, your doctor could administer a skin prick test. This involves applying a diluted cannabis solution to your skin with a needle. If you develop a rash in the area, it's a sign that you have an allergy. However, skin prick tests aren't always accurate. You might need more than one, and they can require specialist knowledge to administer and interpret properly.

Blood tests could be another option, however this practice is much less common. Cannabis remains illegal in many places, and awareness of cannabis allergies is still developing. If you see a family or clinic doctor, they'll diagnose you on the basis of a pattern in your symptoms. However, if you are looking for a more accurate diagnosis, you may want to visit the proper specialist: an allergist.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT A MARIJUANA ALLERGY

Start by paying close attention to your reactions. If you suspect a cannabis allergy, you can be proactive while you seek a diagnosis. Keep a diary. Track your symptoms, their severity, and context. Did you recently smoke or otherwise come into contact with cannabis? Have you taken cannabis recently _without_ a reaction? Did you eat or drink anything before reacting, or is there anything else that might have caused your symptoms? If you stop consuming cannabis, do your symptoms go away?

It can seem like a pain, but being as detailed as possible will help get to the bottom of your discomfort. You may even gain some clarity yourself, helping you better adapt while you pursue medical advice. Of course, if it becomes clear that cannabis is the culprit, or if you're having a more severe reaction, stay away from weed until you can see a doctor. If you're unsure, always seek help from a medical professional.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Reducing or eliminating exposure is the only trusted way to prevent or treat a cannabis allergy. If you work in the industry, especially on the processing side, make sure your employer provides you with gloves, masks, and other safety equipment.

Certain symptoms of a cannabis pollen allergy can also be treated with antihistamines and nasal decongestants. However, if you're a consumer of cannabis and having allergic reactions, it might be time to go weed-free. Remember, you should always seek medical attention for severe reactions. If you have a serious allergy, you may need to carry an EpiPen in case of emergency.

On a positive note, as awareness of cannabis allergies grows among the medical community, we may see more treatment options in the future. Research suggests immunotherapy is a potential treatment avenue. Allergen immunotherapy is when a doctor guides your exposure to larger and larger amounts of an allergen in order to retrain your immune response. A recent literature review found studies as far back as the 1930s where immunotherapy was successful in treating cannabis allergies. Unfortunately, they were few and far between, so more research is needed before this becomes standard practice.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

THE ROAD TO RELIEF

If you have a marijuana allergy, the first step toward relief is identifying the problem. While treatment options are currently limited, awareness of cannabis allergies is growing. You can help spread the word by sharing this article and other relevant information. If you suspect you have an allergy, consider printing off some of the scientific studies we've referenced to show your doctor.

As awareness of weed allergies grows in the medical community, here's hoping they will one day be a thing of the past. In the meantime, we'll continue to dream of a glorious world where we can all puff-puff-pass to our heart's content.

External Resources:
  1. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-75-4-571?doi=10.7326%2F0003-4819-75-4-571
  2. Selective cannabis strain allergy in a patient presenting with a local allergic reaction | Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology | Full Text https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: