Cannabis allergy or normal irritation?

[EverythingsHazy]

After some rather unpleasant experiences (albeit somewhat mild) with getting hives/itchiness when dealing with raw Cannabis, I decided to do some research on Cannabis allergies, and it seems like irritation caused by contact with raw Cannabis (most people complaining about reactions while trimming) is far more common than irriation or an allergic response caused by smoking or vaping, though all of those methods can be triggers, depending on the person.

This leads me to believe that raw Cannabis may contain an irritant/allergen which is denatured by heat. I'm curious if this is an allergen or another type of irritant, because allergies tend to worsen with repeated exposure. Another type of irritant might be "safer".

Some sufferers of Oral Allergy Syndrome, can eat certain foods which cause allergic reactions, so long as they are heated to a high enough temperature for a long enough time (often peaches, apples, tomatoes), and experience no reaction. This is not the case with other "classic" food allergies, such as nut or shelfish allergies, which are not at all prevented by cooking. *Do not just experiment with this by yourself, without working with a licensed allergist. Allergies can worsen at any point, and can become deadly (anaphylaxis).*

If Cannabis is an allergen, and not just another type of irritant, I feel like for some people, it may be along the lines of OAS, vs a classic food allergy, but that's just a hunch, and perhaps a wishful one, at that.

 

[Green Kiwi]

Interesting topic @EverythingsHazy , Hell yeah, raw cannabis makes me very itchy....
When Trimming I get red dot's and if I continue(I don't nowadays ,learned my lesson)I will and up with liquid hives all over my arms and hands. To prevent this allergic reaction I nowadays wear long rubber sleeved hand gloves. get's a bit sweaty after long hours, but rather sweaty than bloody and itchy for days.
Have you ever touched your eyes during trimming? that gives me quiet an reaction......
.

 

[GoldenBud]

you may be allergic to some terpene or a cannabinoid, it's hard to tell which one. you may replace the strain. cannabis has like hundreds of ingredients, some of them in even so low concentration that an HPLC device can't detect , like the "new" cannabinoid THCP or so

 

[ginolicious]

Interesting topic @EverythingsHazy , Hell yeah, raw cannabis makes me very itchy....
When Trimming I get red dot's and if I continue(I don't nowadays ,learned my lesson)I will and up with liquid hives all over my arms and hands. To prevent this allergic reaction I nowadays wear long rubber sleeved hand gloves. get's a bit sweaty after long hours, but rather sweaty than bloody and itchy for days.
Have you ever touched your eyes during trimming? that gives me quiet an reaction......
.

Funny you say that. Same thing kinda happens to me. If the fan leaves touch my body when I’m cutting plants down my body gets real itchy from that alone. Not so much when trimming though.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Interesting topic @EverythingsHazy , Hell yeah, raw cannabis makes me very itchy....
When Trimming I get red dot's and if I continue(I don't nowadays ,learned my lesson)I will and up with liquid hives all over my arms and hands. To prevent this allergic reaction I nowadays wear long rubber sleeved hand gloves. get's a bit sweaty after long hours, but rather sweaty than bloody and itchy for days.
Have you ever touched your eyes during trimming? that gives me quiet an reaction......
.

Do you experience any reaction when you vape or otherwise consume heated Cannabis?

Touching my eyes after handling raw bud definitely makes them itch, water, and pretty much shut, almost immediately.

you may be allergic to some terpene or a cannabinoid, it's hard to tell which one. you may replace the strain. cannabis has like hundreds of ingredients, some of them in even so low concentration that an HPLC device can't detect , like the "new" cannabinoid THCP or so

Possibly. I'm going to do some experimenting, but if raw Cannabis irritates most people, it may be something else other than an allergy. I'm curious to see what more people have to say about their experiences.

Funny you say that. Same thing kinda happens to me. If the fan leaves touch my body when I’m cutting plants down my body gets real itchy from that alone. Not so much when trimming though.

Is it only the fan leaves, or the buds too?

 

[ginolicious]

@EverythingsHazy i only notice when cutting down and the fan leaves touch me to be honest.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

@EverythingsHazy i only notice when cutting down and the fan leaves touch me to be honest.

I wonder this has to do with the tiny hairs found on the plant.

 

[Green Kiwi]

@EverythingsHazy , well yes, I do get a lot of phlegm, when vaping in general. I am asthmatic, and have chronic bronchitis, so I sort of always think it's because of that. as a kid my mum had to use a vibrating electric medical tool on my chest(reminds me of an old plain sander machine.)to get al the phlegm loose ,so I could cough it up)Since I started with Cannabis my symptoms have lessened a great deal.

Maybe it's a allergy , but I have always sort of felt it's my asthma .

(sorry for the separate post mod's, I still don't understand how to Quote and reply on that.)

 

[EverythingsHazy]

@EverythingsHazy , well yes, I do get a lot of phlegm, when vaping in general. I am asthmatic, and have chronic bronchitis, so I sort of always think it's because of that. as a kid my mum had to use a vibrating electric medical tool on my chest(reminds me of an old plain sander machine.)to get al the phlegm loose ,so I could cough it up)Since I started with Cannabis my symptoms have lessened a great deal.

Maybe it's a allergy , but I have always sort of felt it's my asthma .

(sorry for the separate post mod's, I still don't understand how to Quote and reply on that.)

Does the vaping make the phlegm worse for a while, or just initially? Cannabis acts as an expectorant, which loosens up mucus in the lungs, so I feel some phlegm, too, but after coughing a few times, my lungs feel very clear.

That machine sounds pretty weird/funny.

To quote a post in your reply, just click the "Reply" button on the bottom right of the post that you want to quote. You can do this multiple times, to quote multiple messages. You can also use the "+Quote" button to que up multiple quotes, but then you have to click the "Insert Quotes" button, which will pop up under the text box that you use to type your comment, on the left (opposite side of the "Post Reply" and "Preview" buttons.

 

[wastedpotential]

allergies are the body's reaction to an irritant. Each of our body's may react differently. Just as we have heard people say they can touch poison ivy without reaction, so too can people be reactive to something no one else is.

A good experiment might be to try handling different strains with different terpene profiles.

Also, unless you know the source of the plant (or grew it yourself), there might be chemicals that can cause reaction.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

allergies are the body's reaction to an irritant.

An allergy is actually an immune system response to a foreign substance that is not typically harmful to your body. A peanut is not an irritant, but it causes an immune response in some people's bodies.

A burn caused by something like euphorbia sap, which is actually caustic, wouldn't necessarily be considered an allergy, though I don't doubt that you can also be allergic to the sap, which would just make it worse.

Rubbing pepper in your eye will burn, if you are a normal human, but that doesn't mean that you are allergic to it. Cannabis rubbed in the eyes/nose seems to cause a negative reaction in many people.

I find it interesting that inhaling heated Cannabis doesn't seem to cause a negative respiratory reaction in many of those people who get redness/itchiness/hives from handling raw Cannabis.

A good experiment might be to try handling different strains with different terpene profiles.

Yes, I would like to try this. It would be nice if we could get some other people to try it as well, and maybe post some pics/fill out a simple survey

 

[Green Kiwi]

Does the vaping make the phlegm worse for a while, or just initially? Cannabis acts as an expectorant, which loosens up mucus in the lungs, so I feel some phlegm, too, but after coughing a few times, my lungs feel very clear.

That machine sounds pretty weird/funny.

To quote a post in your reply, just click the "Reply" button on the bottom right of the post that you want to quote. You can do this multiple times, to quote multiple messages. You can also use the "+Quote" button to que up multiple quotes, but then you have to click the "Insert Quotes" button, which will pop up under the text box that you use to type your comment, on the left (opposite side of the "Post Reply" and "Preview" buttons.

,
Thank you @EverythingsHazy , for the lesson on the Quote button, i'm applying it straight away.
This makes this place so awesome, people really helping or at least trying to help each other..
Right, back to your question, :vaping makes it worse for a while. after a few bowls though , it changes to just during..
And I take it "on the chin"anyway, since I have to vape to be sort of functioning.

curious, why this tread is not more active, as I always hear, other people starting to clear their throats the moment they inhale vapour.(and in the old days toke....).

 

[Mookie0608]

Easiest way put...weed is worse than pollen season at its worst if your like me with bad allergies. Just gotta deal with it. Pop some Benadryl or Claritin before you smoke, and even thought it’s highly addicting Afrin extra moisturizing. Smoke from a nice bubbler or bong or vape and it won’t be as harsh when consuming. When just doing your business farming There’s really not much you can do but suck it up take some allergy medication if breathing is an issue try afrin for a few days I’m few days off so you don’t get rebound congestion. Dust masks don’t even really do shit. Even with COVID going on there’s more harm coming from the freaking masks than Good for many people.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

I'm surprised to see so many votes for no irritation, despite reading so many posts about people getting hives from touching the plants or bud. Something to note, is that the hands seem to be more tolerant than the underside of the forearms, according to what I've seen/read, though I have no scientific literature to back up that idea.

,
Thank you @EverythingsHazy , for the lesson on the Quote button, i'm applying it straight away.
This makes this place so awesome, people really helping or at least trying to help each other..
Right, back to your question, :vaping makes it worse for a while. after a few bowls though , it changes to just during..
And I take it "on the chin"anyway, since I have to vape to be sort of functioning.

curious, why this tread is not more active, as I always hear, other people starting to clear their throats the moment they inhale vapour.(and in the old days toke....).

Happy to help. I agree. It's a great community.

Easiest way put...weed is worse than pollen season at its worst if your like me with bad allergies. Just gotta deal with it. Pop some Benadryl or Claritin before you smoke, and even thought it’s highly addicting Afrin extra moisturizing. Smoke from a nice bubbler or bong or vape and it won’t be as harsh when consuming. When just doing your business farming There’s really not much you can do but suck it up take some allergy medication if breathing is an issue try afrin for a few days I’m few days off so you don’t get rebound congestion. Dust masks don’t even really do shit. Even with COVID going on there’s more harm coming from the freaking masks than Good for many people.

Does it affect you every single time you consume it? What symptoms do you experience?

 

[biohacker]

I'm surprised to see so many votes for no irritation, despite reading so many posts about people getting hives from touching the plants or bud. Something to note, is that the hands seem to be more tolerant than the underside of the forearms, according to what I've seen/read, though I have no scientific literature to back up that idea.

Haven't had a chance to read the thread yet but I have this big deal. I no longer use flower (3 years) no issues. I did the allergy test and was allergic to trees and grass, but I only get hives from contact with certain grasses (the dry stuff, not lush green), and trees I guess when I go mountain biking and brush up against the branches I get it on whatever touches the terps of the leaves or whatever lol

So I just say i'm allergic to it, because I can't tolerate flower vape anymore. I think it's a case of overuse/over exposure myself. I couldn't go back after being spoiled by high quality extract vaping so it's all good!

 

[Mookie0608]

I'm surprised to see so many votes for no irritation, despite reading so many posts about people getting hives from touching the plants or bud. Something to note, is that the hands seem to be more tolerant than the underside of the forearms, according to what I've seen/read, though I have no scientific literature to back up that idea.

Happy to help. I agree. It's a great community.

Does it affect you every single time you consume it? What symptoms do you experience?

Not every time but if I hit it hard it’s not as bad with a vape compared to smoking but it’s still there. If it’s something like gorilla glue it can be bad. Mostly just a case of feeling like bad allergies. Stuffy nose can’t breath easily through it coughing from congestion but I can honestly say I think that’s just from what you typically expect in terms of throat irritation and the sore throats. My eyes water too and usually when I take a benedryl or Zyrtec I get relief. It’s worse with kief.

 

[Green Kiwi]

Haven't had a chance to read the thread yet but I have this big deal. I no longer use flower (3 years) no issues. I did the allergy test and was allergic to trees and grass, but I only get hives from contact with certain grasses (the dry stuff, not lush green), and trees I guess when I go mountain biking and brush up against the branches I get it on whatever touches the terps of the leaves or whatever lol

So I just say i'm allergic to it, because I can't tolerate flower vape anymore. I think it's a case of overuse/over exposure myself. I couldn't go back after being spoiled by high quality extract vaping so it's all good!

Hi @biohacker , I see you got a new picture as your signature, ME like.
Yeah I Read you say in other tread's to that you suspect it from overuse,I don't know.
I thought overuse more caused CHS and symptoms.personally I have known a few peeps whom got CHS after getting on the DAB train.I can see why ;total overload for the bodies own cannaboid system.
(well with the amounts they started consuming anyway, say custom 420 grow quantities.....)
but I understand from my reading that dabs actually help you with having less allergic reaction to cannabis.
Interesting stuff! definitely micro dosing I guess....LOL.

 

[biohacker]

Hi @biohacker , I see you got a new picture as your signature, ME like.

Hey bro, that's my new toy, I like to call it a Sundae with Ruby on top!

In general, allergies can occur due to overexposure of something, but who knows... it's likely cross linked with grass and trees, but i'm not surprised, considering what I was inhaling for years (decade+) testing all sorts of vapes. It's like how could I NOT get allergic? lol

DAB train.I can see why ;total overload for the bodies own cannaboid system.
(well with the amounts they started consuming anyway, say custom 420 grow quantities.....)
but I understand from my reading that dabs actually help you with having less allergic reaction to cannabis.
Interesting stuff! definitely micro dosing I guess....LOL.

Yeah people have misconceptions about dabs and potency, but it's not much different from vaping/concentrating actives. So easy to go overboard but no different than flower for me with the exception of not being able to handle all that flower vape, much like combusting too much.

Micro dosing and keeping a low tolerance and high sensitivity is definitely the way to go for many people myself included!

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Hmmm... Do any of you not get an itchy/watery/swelling, classic allergic reaction, if you touch raw buds and then touch your eye?

 

[shredder]

Surprised I'm just finding this thread.

I suffer from allergies and asthma. And I grow marijuana and I'm slightly allergic to it.

When my allergies are bad handling or inhaling mj makes it worse. When it's bad I wear a mask when handling it.

Last winter after suffering pneumonia the second time in 2 years I slowed vaping to just an occasional hit of concentrate and 90% edibles.

Now after ten months I feel much better. I no longer wheeze at night. I vape herb very rarely.

Usually one small rosin dab a day, and maybe a couple hits off a portable concentrate vape. But I eat edibles daily and up to 4 a day. And I have a wide range of edibles to choose from.

There was a slight transition, but it's been mostly positive and I know a lot more about medibles now.

 

[Vaporware]

I can’t grow yet so I don’t know how I’d react to the rest of the plant (I do have problems with some grasses, pollen, etc), but I find that vaping flower actually *helps* with my allergies. I can barely smell most of the time (been that way since long before I tried cannabis), but a decent amount of vapor really helps with that. It can be like taking allergy pills for days all compressed into a few minutes.

A micro-dose might help a little, but while I was almost always micro-dosing over the last couple of years my allergies have been worse than the previous few years where I was getting a good dose of edibles and flower vapor every night.

Lately I’m getting my tolerance back up a bit and my allergies have been reduced significantly. I keep being reminded that there’s a significant upside to not being able to smell things though...there’s a lot of foul smelling shit out there, and sometimes you get stuck in a room with it.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Surprised I'm just finding this thread.

I suffer from allergies and asthma. And I grow marijuana and I'm slightly allergic to it.

When my allergies are bad handling or inhaling mj makes it worse. When it's bad I wear a mask when handling it.

Last winter after suffering pneumonia the second time in 2 years I slowed vaping to just an occasional hit of concentrate and 90% edibles.

Now after ten months I feel much better. I no longer wheeze at night. I vape herb very rarely.

Usually one small rosin dab a day, and maybe a couple hits off a portable concentrate vape. But I eat edibles daily and up to 4 a day. And I have a wide range of edibles to choose from.

There was a slight transition, but it's been mostly positive and I know a lot more about medibles now.

This is fascinating. The fact that switching to concentrates and edibles mitigates your reaction makes me believe it's a pollen based issue, similar to Oral Pollen Allergy, because sufferers of OPA with fruits, can often have the same fruit if it is cooked at a high enough temperature and for a long enough time (apples/peaches fresh vs in a pie).

 

[Okla68]

Been suffering with Topical Irritation from Cannabis since 1970, breaking down bricks of Mexican weed in the livingroom floor with No shirt, stomach forearms get covered in Itchy, Stinging Whelts. Vaping Flower produces Phlegm and Concentrates turn me into a Snot Slinging machine ! The Higher the THC content, the More Phlegm/Snot produced ! Been that way for 50+ years. After Trimming, if I rub my hands on my bare stomach, Instant Itching, Stinging Whelts !

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Been suffering with Topical Irritation from Cannabis since 1970, breaking down bricks of Mexican weed in the livingroom floor with No shirt, stomach forearms get covered in Itchy, Stinging Whelts. Vaping Flower produces Phlegm and Concentrates turn me into a Snot Slinging machine ! The Higher the THC content, the More Phlegm/Snot produced ! Been that way for 50+ years. After Trimming, if I rub my hands on my bare stomach, Instant Itching, Stinging Whelts !

This kind of reaction is why I think the plant may contain some sort of skin/mucus membrane irritant, be it a chemical or even urticating hairs.

 

[shredder]

This is fascinating. The fact that switching to concentrates and edibles mitigates your reaction makes me believe it's a pollen based issue, similar to Oral Pollen Allergy, because sufferers of OPA with fruits, can often have the same fruit if it is cooked at a high enough temperature and for a long enough time (apples/peaches fresh vs in a pie).

I think it's more the plant particulates in herb vapor. The flowers I use never see pollen.

If you use a tissue to inhale through it's evident. Try it sometime. Place the tissue between you and the vape and inhale through it.

Exhaling through a tissue can be revealing as well. The difference between an inhale and exhale is apparently in your lungs. A simple unscientific example but still.