Whether you smoke, vape or eat edibles, your eyes can become bloodshot. This is one of the most common effects of cannabis. Besides being slightly uncomfortable, people often want to avoid being discriminated against in public for something like having red eyes.
There are a few ways to prevent or treat red eyes from smoking weed, but first, let’s talk about why your eyes may become red in the first place.
Why does cannabis cause red eyes?
It’s a common myth that the redness is caused by irritation in the eyes from smoke, but that doesn’t explain why even a gummy edible can make your eyes red. The little red lines that appear in your eyeballs are dilated blood vessels and capillaries. This is a natural physiological response to the THC in weed lowering your blood pressure. Red eyes are not a major concern for your health, but it can feel a bit dry and uncomfortable.
Avoid red eyes by using low THC strains
THC is the ingredient directly responsible for bloodshot eyes. The amount of THC you consume has an effect on how red your eyes become. This means the higher THC percentage you consume, the more bloodshot your eyes could become. If you are in need of discretion-a low THC strain may be the way to go. The effect can vary from person to person—some people will still get bloodshot eyes from even the mildest weed, while some can smoke straight fire and still have shiny white eyes. As with everything in life, it’s important to know yourself and find out what works for you.
Where can I find low THC strains?
Emjay has an awesome and ever revolving and evolving selection of low THC and/or high CBD flower. Although THC is the most famous of the crew, cannabis is jam packed with a full squad of plant magic known as cannabinoids. The explosion of options in the legal cannabis marketplace allows for more precise experimentation of what works for you and your body. Our Product Reviewer recommends:
- Miss Grass 1:1 All Times Pre-Rolls for a balanced and manageable sociable high.
- Pure Beauty CBD Babies for a quick reset into relaxation without sacrificing mental acuity.
Both are women owned brands.. We highly recommend you check these out and if they’re out of stock check out our low dose edibles instead. Either way the delivery is on us.
How to treat red eyes from cannabis
Cold compress
When your eyes are red after using cannabis, your eye’s capilaries are swollen with blood. To decrease the flow of blood, press a cold compress or ice pack to your closed eyelids. Make sure to have a piece of cloth or fabric in between the ice and your skin as to protect the sensitive skin around the eye from becoming too cold.
Eye drops
The fastest and most popular method of getting rid of red eyes is to use over-the-counter eye drops such as Visine, Rohto, and Refresh. Eye drops contain tetrahydrozoline, an active ingredient that constricts the eye’s blood vessels, so they don’t appear enlarged and swollen with blood. There are many types of eye drops including drops for people with contacts, allergies, even for those who look at screens all day. Each type of eye drop works well, depending on your specific needs, to also reduce redness from cannabis.
Sunglasses
If redness-reducing methods are unavailable to you, we recommend a California staple accessory: sunglasses. They protect your sensitive eyes and skin from sun damage and add a feeling of comfort to cannabis consumers in public scenarios. Also fantastic for summoning 80’s mega hits if worn at night.
