Do Edibles Make Your Eyes Red?
Will marijuana edibles make your eyes bloodshot? In short, yes, they will. Read on to learn how to avoid getting bloodshot eyes while high. There are plenty of techniques you can try.
Why do our eyes get red when high?
THC. THC is the reason your eyes get red. To get a bit scientific, THC will make your capillaries dilate. In turn, this causes increased blood flow to the eyes and makes your eyes red.
Smoking weed, eating cannabis edibles, or any other way you could consume cannabis (THC) will make your eyes red.
Can Eye Redness Be Something Positive?
Yes! Marijuana research has proved that glaucoma patients benefit from the process, which makes their eyes red.
Glaucoma is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged - NHS.uk.
THC, as an addition to red eyes, will cause temporary lower blood pressure. This causes the dilation of your blood vessels and capillaries in the eyes. When your ocular capillaries dilate, the expansion of your blood vessels increases blood flow to your eyes.
So, Glaucoma causes high eye pressure. THC will lower blood pressure and result in lower intraocular pressure, just as effectively as many other forms of treatment.
If smoking marijuana is feasible as your only form of treatment is, however, unlikely. Smoking all day isn't preferred by many.
What are Edibles?
Edibles, in the marijuana dictionary, are any form of cannabis-infused food or ingestible that has been treated, so you experience the effects of the chemical compounds.
So, you can't just sprinkle some ground-up herb on your food and expect magic.
You need to separate THC and/or CBD from plant matter and then incorporate it into something consumable.
Not all edibles will make you "high". Recently, CBD edibles and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids can be found in ordinary grocery stores. CBD won't make you stoned, but there are tons of benefits from CBD.
Consuming THC is the culprit of bloodshot eyes and the feeling of being completely stoned. I'll get to it later, but edibles will make you stoned as you have never been before.
What is The Difference Between Edibles And Smoking?
Anyone can eat a brownie, which happens to be one of the most popular forms of edibles. However, it is not easy to estimate how much is too much. Experienced stoners will, most of the time, be ok if they get too high.
Here is a link to my favorite weed-brownie recipe!
Both their body and mind are used to being high, so reaching a state of being too high isn't all that frightening or anxiety-inducing. It can be, but in my experience, an experienced stoner will probably just call it a night if they get too high without it being a super uncomfortable experience.
Smoking marijuana properly is a challenge for most noobies. This is one of the reasons many first-timers don't get high their first time.
THC molecules that are smoked are processed very effectively. Most of the THC compounds will be absorbed in your lungs. Getting it all the way there is the challenge.
Consumable THC is a more efficient way of getting all the THC in your body, but it will be processed more inefficiently. This means that much of the THC you're consuming will be wasted, but the THC that actually does make it all the way to your liver will be far more potent than the THC you smoke.
How do Edibles Work?
Edibles are kind of a wild card. Most stoners probably have a crazy story as to how they once tripped their balls out on edibles. After ingesting, you don't know how long it will take for the effects to kick in. When they do, it will feel like an elephant sitting in your lap.
Edible Timeline Through the Body.
You eat edibles, and THC is passed down from your mouth to your ingestive system.
THC gets broken down by the liver into a metabolite called 11-hydroxy-THC.
You get high out of this world (dose dependant, of course)
11-hydroxy-THC is known as a metabolite. This metabolite is 2-3 times as potent and has been known to produce hallucinogenic effects. If you want to consume edibles, at least at a larger dose, you need to be prepared for effects that could remind you of magic mushrooms or LSD.
Delayed Effects
As stated, THC through the gut is a better way to get all the THC but a more ineffective way of processing. This means it will take time before you experience the effects.
DISCLAIMER! Cannabis use should always happen with caution. Educate yourself to know exactly what you are getting into.
After ingestion, it will minimum take 20 minutes before the effects start to set in. On a full stomach, the effects will be more delayed than on nothing.
If edibles have never worked for you, don't freak out. Some individuals are incapable of metabolizing THC into 11-hydroxy-THC and, in turn, won't get high or get red eyes. This is rare, and I have never seen it myself. But, it does happen.
Intraocular pressure?
Do edibles make your eyes red? Yes. THC in edibles makes your eyes red.
About 10 minutes after consuming edibles, your heart rate and cause increased blood pressure will increase. Fifteen minutes after consuming edibles, your heart rate will slow down, and your blood pressure will drop.
When your blood pressure drops, in addition to THC dilating your ocular capillaries and reducing intraocular pressure, the blood vessels in your eyes open up, resulting in eye redness.
How Long Will I be High?
When consuming cannabis edibles, you can expect it to take approximately 30 minutes - 2 hours to kick in. The peak will probably come after about 4 hours, and the effects can last for up to 12 hours. Residual effects can last for up to 24 hours.
How to Avoid Red Eyes
Personally, I don't find it appealing that anyone can take a quick look at me and know that I'm high. There is still a lot of prejudice against marijuana use, and many will label you with titles you don't want.
Eye drops are the single best way of reducing bloodshot eyes. ClearEyes are my go-to eye drops.
Naphazoline is a vasoconstrictor. It works by narrowing swollen blood vessels in the eyes to reduce eye redness. Naphazoline ophthalmic (for the eye) is for temporary relief of minor eye redness or discomfort caused by minor irritants. -Everydayhealth.com
You can get them at Amazon in a variety of sizes and prices.
Good Luck, and Beware!
Eating edibles can be super fun, but it can also be a nightmare. Consuming cannabis in any form is a big decision and shouldn't be a quick decision. If you use medical marijuana, make sure your doctor agrees with you. About 25% of those using medically do so on their own account.
As stated, edibles are very fun! Good luck!
Proceed at your own discretion and always make educated decisions about what you put in your body!
-Freddie