Why does Cannabis Make Our Eyes Red?

Hey folks! It’s time again for a journey into the wide world of cannabis with your one and only locally owned cannabis retailer. Last week we discussed why cannabis makes us hungry and got into the nitty gritty of the chemistry that makes that happen. In keeping with that theme we’re going to move on to the how and why of another one of cannabis’ many side effects.

Question:  Have you ever tried to hide how stoned you are only to be given away by your bloodshot eyes? Welcome to the club. I had my mother legitimately convinced I had a medical condition for years when really, it was ganja all along. Sorry mom!

                Anyway, I hope everyone is ready to dive in, we’re going to spend this week getting into the reason behind why cannabis causes our eyes to turn red.

Smoke in the eyes

                So, let’s do away with the most common myth regarding the reddening of the eyes as a response to cannabis consumption: It’s not smoke getting in your eyes. For years I have heard people say that the redness was being caused by ones eyes being exposed to smoke from a consumed joint and it’s not remotely true. Your eyes will get ready regardless of how you consume cannabis; whether you’re eating it, drinking it or smoking it. Even a cannabis suppository could lead to eye redness! And that’s because….

It’s all about pressure

                Specifically, blood pressure! When most people consume THC, it lowers their blood pressure resulting in light headedness, lethargy and myriad other effects. When you consume THC and it bonds to the receptors in our body, several reactions occur. The relevant one for this conversation is a dilation of ones blood cells, resulting in that aforementioned lowering of blood pressure and an inflammation of the capillaries (fancy term for blood cells even tinnier than regular blood cell) in our eyes. The end result is that after a particularly haughty session of bong hits I look like Cyclops from the X-Men. Except I sadly haven’t aged as well as James Marsden. Seriously, look at a picture of the dude from 15 years ago and then look at a picture of him now. It’s just not fair.

                Anyway, the point is that THC specifically has a dilating effect on our blood cells that results in a drop in blood pressure as well as a host of other odd little reactions in our body, including the reddening of the eyes. So there you are!

                That about wraps up this weeks bit of cannabis knowledge! We’re going to keep rolling through some of cannabis’ side effects and why they happen in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. Till next time folks!

                Now that you’ve expanded your knowledge, how about you expand your mind with something from our menu!