One of the most common and notorious side effects of using marijuana is red eyes. Even though this is entirely harmless, that doesn’t mean it’s desirable or welcome for every user. After all, having red eyes is one of the most significant giveaways that you’re high or have used marijuana recently.
This article discusses why weed makes your eyes red and what you can do about it.
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Why Does Weed Make Your Eyes Red?
First and foremost, it’s not the weed smoke getting in your eyes that makes them red. It’s actually a little more interesting than that.
Weed makes your eyes red because of its effects on intraocular eye pressure or the fluid pressure within your eyes.
When you consume tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, your blood pressure is lowered. When your blood pressure is reduced, the blood vessels and capillaries are widened, allowing them to carry greater quantities of blood, reducing the amount of blood returning to the heart in a given instance.
The vein that supplies blood throughout your eye also dilates after using THC, increasing blood flow and lowering the blood pressure in your eyes. This is why medical marijuana is so beneficial for glaucoma patients.
However, with this extra blood flow in the eyes comes that redness. Because it is consuming the THC that makes your eyes red and not the weed smoke, you’ll notice that your eyes can get red from smokeless consumption methods, such as edibles.
That’s not the only reason weed can make your eyes red, though.
In some rarer instances, red eyes may be caused by a burst blood vessel after an excessive bout of coughing. In these cases, a small red spot will appear within the whites of your eyes.
In this article, we will be focusing on red eyes caused by the most common cause: lowered intraocular eye pressure following the consumption of THC.
How Long Do Red Eyes Last from Weed?
If your eyes are red after consuming cannabis, the effect could last between 1 – 4 hours. However, in many cases your eyes will begin to clear up in just about an hour or so.
At the end of the day, how long your eyes are red – and if they turn red at all – aren’t set in stone. Your eyes could be beet red for hours after one session and look completely normal the next.
The most significant factor in how red your eyes will be (and for how long) is the amount of THC you’ve consumed. A general rule of thumb is that the more cannabis you consume – and the more you feel the effects – the more likely it is you’ll get red eyes.
That isn’t a hard rule, though. Other factors, including your age, your tolerance/sensitivity to THC, and your general health, can all determine how red your eyes will get, if at all.
Why Don’t Some People Get Red Eyes?
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Not everyone will get red eyes after using cannabis, and not everyone who does get red eyes will get them to the same degree.
For those who don’t get red eyes after using cannabis, there are several likely explanations.
First and foremost, heavy smokers may build up greater tolerances to THC. As such, for these individuals with a high weed tolerance, consuming THC may not lower the intraocular pressure enough to make their eyes red, despite still delivering the intended effects.
The user’s overall health could also determine whether THC produces red eyes. For instance, some cannabis consumers may have high or low blood pressure, which could influence how red their eyes get, if at all.
How to Get Rid of Stoned Eyes Fast
Getting red eyes after cannabis use is fairly common. But that doesn’t mean that you necessarily want your eyes to be red, especially in social situations.
Here are a few things you can try to get rid of your “stoned eyes” fast.
1. Use Over-the-Counter Eye Drops for Allergies
It’s not just stoners that have to suffer a ruby red gaze. People with allergies get red eyes all the time. There are many over-the-counter eye drops designed for allergy relief that you can try to alleviate red eyes from cannabis.
The truth is, these eye drops may be your best and most effective bet. They contain tetryzoline, which effectively reduces redness in the eyes by restricting dilated blood vessels. Considering that THC makes your eyes red because it causes the vessels in your eyes to expand, tetryzoline can potentially counteract the redness without mitigating any other aspect of your high.
2. Apply a Cold Compress
Using a cold compress could also potentially help alleviate your red eyes. Typically, cold compresses reduce swelling or pain in the eyes and are frequently used by those suffering from pink eye and dry eyes.
Cold compresses could reduce redness in your eyes because, in most situations, blood vessels constrict in response to colder temperatures.
3. Drink Coffee
Like tetryzoline found in eye drops, caffeine constricts the blood vessels when consumed. Therefore, grabbing a cup of joe could help reduce the redness in your eyes from smoking weed.
However, unlike eye drops, drinking coffee could reduce the psychoactive effects of marijuana. Typically, people will try drinking coffee to sober up faster.
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So if you’re just trying to kill the redness (and not the desired psychoactive effects from your last dose), then you may want to avoid drinking too much caffeine.
4. Eat High-Sodium Foods
Finally, the last potential method on our list is to eat some snacks high in sodium. If you’re consuming cannabis, chances are, you may already have some potato chips, popcorn, pizza, etc., on hand for the inevitable munchies.
Snacks like these have the potential to reduce your eyes’ redness because eating foods high in sodium will temporarily increase your blood pressure. Considering weed makes your eyes red because it temporarily lowers your blood pressure, nibbling on some salty snacks could counteract this process somewhat.
Can Drinking Water Help?
Many people mistakenly think drinking water helps with eye redness. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Drinking water could help if you’ve taken too high of a dose, but it won’t do anything for your eyes.
Can You Avoid Getting Red Eyes?
Intentionally avoiding getting red eyes following marijuana use may not be possible for some consumers.
No matter what you do, your body will still display the same general biological tendencies when processing THC. One of these tendencies, of course, is lowering your blood pressure.
Still, you can try microdosing or using lower-THC marijuana strains to minimize these biological effects as much as possible if you want to minimize red eyes.
Conclusion
Ruby red eyes after smoking are one of the most iconic aspects of smoking. But this doesn’t mean it’s always a welcome thing (especially if you’re trying to avoid getting flagged for a drug test).
How red your eyes get (if at all) can depend on the kind of cannabis product you’re using, your tolerance, your age and other health factors. It could even vary by the day (one day, they could be beet red, and the next day show no redness at all).
Thankfully, as we’ve seen in this article, there are several things you can try to help reduce red eyes after consuming marijuana.
If you’ve found this article helpful, check out some others we’ve published:
How to Sober Up From Weed
How to Pass a Drug Test
The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
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