Most people trying to talk down weed make use of allergic reactions as one of their key selling points. What they don’t tell you is that such allergies are really nothing unique to weed. They are reactions that you can get from any other normal use food.
What Causes Weed Allergies?
The thing is, marijuana is a plant, and it shares certain properties with other plants. Some of these plants include tomatoes, eggplants, peaches, bananas, and apples. If by any chance, you are allergic to any of these plants, there is a good chance that you will be allergic to weed as well. That clearly is nothing unique to marijuana as many skeptical people would like you to believe.
Marijuana allergies have also been linked to being exposed to the plant for long. Research shows that marijuana allergies are higher in areas where cannabis farming is prevalent. It’s one of the weed effects that come with being exposed to the plant itself and not the weed seeds that most urban weed smokers are exposed to. That explains why the prevalence of marijuana allergies linked to sensitization/plant exposure is quite low.
The other cause of marijuana allergies is a chemical in the marijuana plant known as THC. This is the chemical that makes you high. You are unlikely to react to this chemical unless you abuse marijuana. If you are taking marijuana for medical purposes, the chances are that you will never be predisposed to such allergies because it has very low concentrations of THC.
How to Find Out If You Have a Weed Allergy
One of the easiest ways to know if you are allergic to weed is your breathing. If you develop breathing problems when smoking weed, or in the vicinity of someone smoking weed, there is a good chance that you are allergic to the herb.
You can also tell that you are allergic to weed if you develop severe headaches after smoking weed. Weed is supposed to help you relax, and if it’s for medical purposes, it is supposed to help you relieve pain. However, if you get the opposite effect and get severe headaches, then you are probably allergic. But that’s not a conclusion you should get to on your first day of smoking or vaping weed!
Any first-time weed smoker or vaper will definitely experience a slight headache. That’s just a normal bodily reaction and has nothing to do with a weed allergy.
Concluding Remarks
Weed allergies are not common, and if they occur, they are either as a result of reasons unrelated to marijuana by itself, or issues to do with the farming itself. The latter can always be improved through research. This would help in finding better marijuana strains, as well as improved marijuana growing tools.
In essence, cannabis laws should not be pegged on issues to do with allergies. It’s quite a safe plant and will continue to be legalized. This is the case in a growing number of states in the US, as well as in other countries such as the UK and Norway, among others. More about medical weed read here.
