Can CBD Help with Allergies?

Stephen Andrews
25 Feb 2022

Allergies just suck as they disrupt daily life and make you feel miserable. Nobody is a fan of sneezing, congestions, skin outbreaks or inflammation. Diet restrictions, antihistamines and other medications can help, nevertheless, a lot of people turn to natural remedies to treat their allergies. Cannabidiol (CBD) can offer relief to some allergy symptoms. The non-psychedelic cannabinoid can help alleviate pain and inflammation and can mitigate some of the body's immune responses to allergens. Unless the allergen itself is cannabis.


Cannabinoids such as CBD can help regulate the immune system by counteracting inflammation in the body. Inflammatory and immune-related disorders, such as allergies, occur when the body's cannabinoid system becomes unbalanced. Being a cannabinoid, CBD can help combat allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, runny nose, or congestion. CBD and hempseed oils also have a high nutritional value that supports the immune system's healthy functioning. 

While you may reach out for CBD or hemp to treat allergies, it's good to know that cannabis itself can trigger an allergic reaction. Symptoms of marijuana allergies are similar to symptoms of other allergies, such as from pollen. They can vary depending on how you contact the allergen and may include skin irritations and hives outbreaks or can affect the respiratory system and lead to asthma. 

Although more research needs to be done to explore the connection between allergies and cannabis, smoking marijuana is associated with an increased likelihood of developing asthma and allergies. Those who struggle with allergic asthma should avoid smoking and seek alternative consumption methods for cannabis if this is their choice of medicine. 

Allergies occur when the body's immune system overreacts to a foreign substance that is usually harmless in most people. Pollen, dust mites, animal fur, insect bites, mold, specific foods and medications are some of the more common types of allergens. 

can cbd help with allergies?

Which Allergy Symptoms CBD Can Help with?

CBD may help mitigate or eliminate allergic symptoms and reactions, including congestions and skin rashes. CBD does this by engaging with the body's endocannabinoid system on a pathway that produces histamine-activating cells. Histamine is a chemical found in some of the body's cells and causes many allergies symptoms like runny nose and sneezing.  

There is some evidence that CBD could significantly counteract histamine production during allergy outbreaks, which in turn reduces congestion. The ECS can help support the immune system's healthy function, and more recent research hints that it also has a role in maintaining skin health. Some studies suggest that CBD applied directly to the skin can help with rashes and skin inflammation. 

For allergies and inflammation, standard methods for consuming CBD include topical treatments, herbal extracts, and edibles. Choosing a method depends on what allergy symptom is being treated. CBD-based topical creams and ointments can be used to treat rashes and skin inflammation. Herbal extracts, edibles, and nasal sprays may help with hay fever and other full-body symptoms. 

In general, there's little regulation on the correct dosing of CBD, so you may need to play with the doses until you figure out what's the right amount for yourself and the symptoms. Though it's often well tolerated, CBD may cause side effects such as drowsiness and fatigue, especially if you are taking other types of medications. There is still a lot to learn about how CBD interacts with other drugs in the body, therefore, if you are uncertain if this is the right treatment option for your allergies, a healthcare provider may advise you whether you should proceed with using CBD, how much should you take, or if it's wiser to stick with other remedies. 

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Stephen Andrews