Have you seen someone with red eyes after smoking or ingesting cannabis? Do edibles make your eyes red? But have you wondered what causes eye redness when you smoke marijuana?

Cannabis products are available in various forms. But none of them produce the same effects. But how do your eyes get red from edibles? Let us learn more.

What Are Edibles?

Edible products are an effortless way to consume cannabis compounds for longer-lasting effects. There are three primary types of edibles.

• THC edibles
• CBC edibles
• CBD/THC edibles

Marijuana edibles are products infused with cannabis extracts. THC and CBD are naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds present in cannabis plants.

These two significant cannabinoids are the most abundant compounds in the cannabis and hemp plant. They are extracted using various techniques to produce CBD and THC oils. Then, edible products are infused with these concentrated oils.

Some popular cannabis-infused foods are brownies, gummies, candies, cookies, lozenges, etc. You may have also heard about cannabis-infused chocolates, beverages, and granola bars.

The primary ingredient in all the edibles is THC, the psychoactive compound responsible for making you high when you smoke marijuana.

When you ingest edibles, food digestion distributes the cannabis compounds in your bloodstream. As a result, THC edibles produce a more substantial psychoactive effect that lasts longer because the THC content stays in your bloodstream.

But do THC edibles make your eyes red? Let us learn how THC affects the eyes.

Do Edibles Make Your Eyes Red?

Before consuming THC from cannabis, many people have one primary concern: do THC edibles make your eyes red? Consuming THC edibles can make your eyes red, but it depends on the type of edibles you consume.

CBD and THC affect people differently. For example, eating edibles does not immediately make your eyes red. But it takes about ten minutes to make your eyes bloodshot.

When you eat cannabis edibles, initially, the THC content increases blood pressure. But why does weed make your eyes red?

When you smoke cannabis, the eye reddening is caused by the amount of THC you smoke as it increases blood pressure.

Similarly, eye redness can happen from consuming cannabis and increased THC content.

If you’re consuming edibles with more than 50 mg of THC, it will lower blood pressure. However, as a result, the blood vessels present in the eyes dilate. As a result, more blood flows to the vessels when this happens, resulting in red eyes and higher blood pressure.

However, if your edibles contain CBD, you may not look as stoned as when you consume THC edibles. This happens because our liver processes traditional THC edibles.

The liver does not transport the THC directly into the bloodstream. As a result, it takes a bit longer for the edibles to produce the high associated with smoking marijuana. Therefore, the eye-reddening effect is produced after some time.

Similarly, using dabs, vapes, tinctures, and other cannabis products can also cause bloodshot eyes. Again, however, the effect is delayed. But why does weed make your eyes red?

THC Edibles

THC edibles make your eyes red because THC can lower blood pressure. It can also reduce intraocular pressure. When ocular capillaries dilate, the blood capillaries expand, increasing blood flow in our eyes.

Increased blood flow reduces intraocular pressure. It benefits glaucoma patients but creates unwanted eye redness. THC also lowers blood pressure. When you have low blood pressure, the blood vessels dilate.

These tiny blood vessels are present in our eyes. When these blood vessels dilate due to the consumption of THC, more blood flows through them, creating bloodshot eyes.

This phenomenon is also responsible for dizziness and nausea associated with consuming marijuana.

CBD Edibles

CBD does not dilate blood vessels like THC. Therefore, consuming edibles with CBD content doesn’t produce bloodshot eyes.

You don’t have to worry about getting red eyes if you’re using CBD edibles for medicinal purposes.

Is It Dangerous to Get Red Eyes?

Red eyes aren’t dangerous if the redness is induced by ingesting THC. However, the redness can cause irritation, puffiness, and discomfort in the eyes.

Also, you may be experiencing red eyes due to several other reasons. For example, this also happens when you have an eye allergy or wear contact lenses for an extended period. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor if you experience eye irritation with redness.

How to Treat Red Eyes

You cannot avoid red eyes due to THC ingestion due to increased blood flow to the ocular capillaries.

However, after consuming THC edibles, you can use eye drops to prevent bloodshot eyes from looking more presentable.

Eye drops can narrow the blood vessels in your eyes. Thus, they reduce the redness effectively. One efficient way of reducing redness in the eyes is by consuming a lower intake of THC. This will reduce the blood vessel dilation, which in turn reduces redness.

You can take a few other steps to reduce redness from consuming THC edibles if you have red eyes.

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated as it helps reduce eye dryness and irritation.
• Splashing cool water can also help minimize the appearance of stoner eyes.
• Use eye drops as they are specially formulated to reduce the appearance of red eyes. They may also reduce irritation.
• Use a cool compress or cold water. Apply it to your eyes to reduce irritation and puffiness.
• Buy redness-reducing eye drops from a pharmacy. These contain active ingredients such as tetrahydrozoline and naphazoline. These ingredients clamp down your blood vessels.

Be Cautious When Consuming Edible THC

Edibles are one of the best ways to consume cannabinoid compounds for a more potent effect. This is because they deliver THC to your endocannabinoid system more efficiently. This process takes longer as the THC travels through your bloodstream to produce the potent effects.

But do your eyes get red from marijuana use solely due to THC content? Technically yes. When you smoke medical marijuana, the harsh smoke can irritate your eyes.

This results in eye irritation and redness. But if you get eye redness from consuming edibles, it’s due solely to the high THC content.

So if you’re new to cannabis edibles, you should start with a low concentration of THC. Also, restrain from eating more edibles.

So Do Edibles Make your Eyes Red?

Edibles can make your eyes bloodshot, but it depends on the type of edibles you’re ingesting. THC is the primary culprit behind eye redness. Therefore, lowering your THC content is an effective way to prevent red eyes from cannabis ingestion.