8 Signs You're Allergic To Weed

With the growing movement to legalize marijuana in the United States, of course more people are likely going to use it. But pot isn't all fun and games, so you might want to know about the signs you're allergic to weed. That's right — on top of just not liking marijuana or having had a bad experience with it, some people are straight-up allergic to it. After all, marijuana is a pretty potent (if generally safe) substance, otherwise people wouldn't be so keen to get their hands on it for various reasons. Every drug has its risks, and weed is no exception.

Even if you don't use marijuana yourself, the chances that you might run into others who do are high — over 100 million Americans have used pot according to the organization NORML, which works to reform marijuana laws, including 25 million just in the past year. It's also worth noting that for some allergens, people aren't born with the allergic reaction; instead, allergies may develope over time after repeated contact with the allergen. These encounters may gradually sensitize some people to a potential allergen, although we don't fully understand why yet.

That means even if you've had no trouble with marijuana allergies in the past, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that you might have trouble with them in the future. And it's no laughing matter, because avoiding marijuana particles is actually quite difficult — one sufferer, for example, told U.S. News and World Report in 2015 that she tends to avoid dance clubs, stores, and even entire states where marijuana is legalized in order to protect her health.

Stay on the lookout for these symptoms of weed allergy, so you can be extra careful to avoid exposure if indeed you have the misfortune of being allergic to marijuana.

1. Breathing Trouble

Dyspnea, or labored breathing, is a common symptom of a weed allergy. This could happen to you even if you didn't smoke or otherwise inhale any of the marijuana, though some people turning up with this symptom have worked around hemp used in textiles too.

2. Congestion And Sneezing

Oh, rhinitis — this is when the lining of your nose becomes inflamed, such as due to exposure to an allergen like weed. Predictable consequences include congestion, sneezing, stuffiness, runny nose, and post-nasal drip (which possibly leads to a sore throat).

3. Headache

All that congestion can easily give you a headache. So basically weed may help you to deal with pain, unless it causes it. Oops.

4. Fatigue And Irritability

Marijuana characteristically leads to chillness... unless you're allergic to it, that is. It's easy to see that all these symptoms can accumulate into poor sleep, fatigue, and irritability.

5. Itchiness

It's not normal to feel intensely itchy after exposure to marijuana (or ever, really). This is a big red flag.

6. Rashes

Some weed allergy sufferers report developing rashes or hives along with their itchiness. Definitely enough to dampen your high.

7. Conjunctivitis

Yep, that's good old pink eye. Weed can do it to you if you're allergic!

8. Food Allergies

Last but not least and worst of all, some researchers claim that consuming marijuana may make users more susceptible to fruit and vegetable allergies. If you unfortunately start seeming generally allergic and have a hard time pinning it down, this horrible but aptly named "cannabis-fruits/vegetables syndrome" is worth considering.

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