Do Edibles Make Your Eyes Red?

A tell-tale sign that someone has smoked a blunt is their red eyes otherwise known as stoner eyes. As you know, there are different ways of using weed and if you’re worried about red eyes, you may want to explore another option besides smoking like eating edibles. But do edibles make your eyes red? Here’s what we know.

Photo: Unsplash 

Do Edibles Make My Eyes Red?

Absolutely!

It’s a common misconception that the smoke from the blunt is the main cause of the reddening of the eyes. 

Sure, smoke could technically cause your eyes to get red. Some stoners may get dried and irritated eyes from the smoke. Your eyes can even get red if you’re allergic to weed, (yes that’s a thing).

However, there is another reason why using weed even when smoke isn’t involved causes red eyes. Your eyes are red due to vasodilation caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). We have a whole blog about how weed makes your eyes red. 

But to summarize, THC binds to the endocannabinoid receptors, causes blood vessels to dilate and so more blood is allowed in. Therefore, as Healthline puts it, your eyes get red because the blood vessels in your eyes get filled with blood. 

In addition to that, vasodilation results in more than red eyes, it also causes a lowering of blood pressure and dizziness. 

That means whether you’re hitting from a bong, chomping down on an edible, or using a dab if there is enough THC, your eyes may turn red. 

If you’re worried about the length of time your eyes will be red, you may want to skip the edibles or wear sunglasses. The effects of edibles tend to last longer than smoking a blunt. You can feel the effects of edibles for 6-8 hours or more. Therefore, it’s entirely possible that your eyes could be red for a longer period of time than if you had smoked the weed. 

Can CBD Gummies Cause Red Eyes? 

If you use CBD edibles such as gummies, you may be wondering if CBD can make your eyes red. 

Even though CBD may lower blood pressure like THC, it does not seem to cause vasodilation like THC. 

Therefore, you should be able to enjoy your CBD gummies and other CBD products without worrying about getting stoner eyes. 

CBD affects the eyes in other ways. 

If you have glaucoma, CBD products may worsen your condition. According to a 2018 study, “that CBD…….appears to increase pressure inside the eye of mice, suggesting the use of the substance in the treatment of glaucoma may actually worsen the condition.” The study found that CBD increased eye pressure by 18% for up to 4 hours after weed was used. 

Interestingly, THC was found to have the opposite effect. According to the study, “THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, was found to effectively lower pressure in the eye”. In addition to that, THC in combination with CBD blocked that effect. 

How to Prevent Red Eyes

We just reiterate that red eyes aren’t a cause for concern medically. However, if for whatever reason you want to prevent red eyes, there are not many options. Red eyes are just a harmless and common side effect of using THC-containing products. 

However, the first step to preventing red eyes is finding out why you have them. If you’re allergic to weed, you can use an antihistamine to manage your symptoms but that’s about it. If your eyes are red because they’re dry and the smoke irritates them you can use eye drops. You can also switch to edibles but while your eyes may not be irritated by the smoke, chances are they will still be red. 

Finally, if your eyes are red simply due to the vasodilation caused by THC, you can use weed lower in THC. Since THC is the culprit, strains higher in CBD and lower in THC should reduce your chances of getting red eyes. 

You can also use eye drops. Here are our top 6 suggestions for eye drops perfect for stoners.  

It’s fine to use them every once in a while, especially if you experience irritation from weed outside of your eyes just being red. However, we have to caution you against using red-eye-eyedrops on a daily basis. For example, they might prevent oxygen from getting to your eyes if you’re wearing contacts and recovering from the irritant in the long term. 

Red eyedrops work by causing vasoconstriction, essentially the opposite of vasodilation. However, when the effects of the eye drops wear off, your eyes may look redder. 

You can still use them in a pinch to treat your red eyes.

Conclusion

Do edibles make your eyes red? They absolutely can. Smoke isn’t always the reason why stoners get red eyes. THC, a vasodilator causes more blood to rush into the blood vessels of the eyes causing a red appearance. Therefore, if your edible has THC, then you can get stoner eyes. The good news is that red eyes don’t appear to be dangerous and you can use eye drops if it’s truly bothering y