This is extremely common. It was a challenge finding someone who could mind the grinding room at my last job as one tech after another developed this problem. It definitely is related to sensitization. It always gets worse and worse once it starts. I get skin irritation myself touching large quantities, but not respitory stuff so much.
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Similar things happen to chef’s fairly often in the culinary industry in relation to hand soaps, scented hand soaps and heavily concentrated ones usually being to blame.
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My allergys grew over the years. Especially being around old trim ruins my sinuses. I always wear paint masks and long sleeves.
On a more serious note cannabis can have very serious effects on people who have manic episodes and schizophrenia. It can trigger an episode for sure
Interesting note, when I was spending considerable amounts of time looking at cannabinoids under microscopes I would notice that a fair amount of trichomes seemed to “stick” to the isolations as you could clearly make out the glandular heads and stems. I would also often see these spike looking compounds mixed in with them, look similar to trichomes but no round glandular top, just a a spiked tip. I wonder if that’s at all related to what you were saying
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I would imagine, and I very well could be wrong, that you are seeing merely trichomes with broken heads. The heads are easily dislodged, and the act of handling flower will often do damage much like what you were seeing. Someone may have brushed up against the plant while in flower. Someone may have knocked it against something (or itself) while harvesting. I’ve seen tons of damage to trichomes as a result of regular treatment, but then again, I was limited to 50x magnification the last chance I had to really look.
Edit: Also wanted to mention that I have seen more contact dermatitis and negative respiratory responses to cannabis than I have any other plant. I have seen it end people’s hopes for working in the industry. I, myself, take allergy meds every day (generic zyrtec). When seasonal allergies kick in, I make sure to have a rescue inhaler and have had, at times, steroid injections to settle my system. PPE is mandatory for my employees when grinding. Even for those without allergies, it hurts. Appropriate respirators, tyvek suits, appropriate goggles, and the like should not be an afterthought.
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Yeah I always figured they were just broken trichomes. I was surprised enough to see anything on what I thought were completely rinsed crystal formations. Looking at a variety of flower and concentrates under a microscope changed how I looked at them. I would see small threads of clothing, particulate, etc
I had generally assumed if you smoke California flower that eventually your gonna smoke a few wooks dreadlocks, kind of like the tolerable limit of bug parts in food.
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There are a few types of trichomes, most are stalks with bulbous heads(capitate-stalked), but theres also stalkless heads(capitate-sessile), and pointy headless ones(cystolithic)
Allergies are usually the biggest problem for a lot of people who come try to work in a commercial cannabis grow. You usually know within the first day if they can do it. I have seen tons of people bust out in hives, unable to breathe on their first day. There are lots of allergens, on the plant. Powdery Mildew on plants made it worse for some people…
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Looks like hemp allergy may be an indicator or a trigger of apple, pear,nuts, cabbag and couple of different allergies.
I was thinking about using spent kief as a makeup powder but after testing it on couple of friends some got a nasty rash.
There are no histamines (or are in very low amounts) in trichomes however lipid transfer proteins can still cause allergies.
There is maybe 3 papers about this issue and some tried using powdered plant as allergy indicator in scratch tests. I guess kief will be much better.
Oddly enough people affecting by hemp allergy can develop very serious allergy to hemp seed oil.
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Very interesting stuff. I didn’t realize it was so common. I wonder why I can smoke it with little to no issues? As long as I can still consume it without puffing up and breathing like I’ve just smoked 2 packs of newports I’ll be thankful lol.
I’ve seen this happen with pesticides. If the plants were oversprayed they will definitely cause u to break out in hives and red itchy spots
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I believe it forsure but I’ve also gotten hives in rooms where they were not doing any IPM in flower. And I never get any irritation or hives from working with vegging plants, at some point in flower it seems to come. Packing and even more so unpacking columns is what gets my breathing to stop. I’ve had some rough days working while struggling to breathe, good to know I’m not alone tho
I have seen numerous people affected by this to the point they can’t work around biomass at all
I never personally have an issue With biomass but there was this one crude that was sprayed with something unknown that caused me to go into anaphylaxis
I always thought cannabis allergies were bullshit because we only use females and workers were complaining of “pollen “
After around 17 years cultivating I now do too get hives when pruning and cleaning plants up. Weird how it has no effect smoking or using salves on the skin.
And I used a trim machine in the shop for 10 hours on some outdoor and I had a sinus infection for days. Glow in the dark shit!
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I’ve been around cannabis and now hemp most of my life. I can’t consume anything other than solventless and edibles now. My wife and I are to the point that we pretty much can’t touch plants without skin and lung allergies.
Some people have proposed that it’s terpenes, but I think using silica causes us problems. I know that chitosan in products like Regalia causes lip swelling in some med patients.
This plant has been so kind to me over the years and it’s heartbreaking to have allergies like this develop.
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I loathe trimming because it’s a guarantee I’ll have itchy, watering eyes and a clogged, steadily dripping nose. It seems less bad dry trimming and is definitely worse with some strains.
I have had strains that caused me to break out in minor welts on the underside of my arm. They quickly went away after washing with soapy water but I try to wear long sleeves when dealing with late flowering plants.
Seems to be less of an issue , actually non existent , with vegging plants in my experience
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With silica and fulvic acid, I have trichs in veg, even on male plants. Being in contact with them still causes us issues.
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Homie called me out on growing mids…. Hahaha 
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We want everyone to grow plants if they can. No ill will intended.
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I am pretty sure it is the plant itself causing it and not contamination. Because this same problem is apparently well known among hop growers.
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I was just messing around really. I think trichs on leaves in veg has to be at least partially genetic. I’m sure you’re on some fire genetics. My queen Anne’s revenge will do it but I am using fulvic and silica too.
I also don’t veg big plants so that’s likely part of my experience.
QAR vegging fan leaf tip closeup with flash and lights off and the plant no flash with lights on:
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