PollyMapCannabis pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab.
More verified photos of Cannabis
About hemp and cannabis pollen
Small, few-pored pollen from hemp and cannabis, increasingly reported in air samples as cultivation expands.
Plants that produce it
- Outdoor hemp and cannabis fields
- Feral hemp along roadsides and riverbanks
- Related hops (Humulus) plantings
How to recognize it
Small spherical grain with roughly three pores and a finely granular wall — very similar to its nettle and hackberry relatives.
Typical published size: 20–28 µm
Commonly confused with
- Nettle pollen — smaller
- Hackberry pollen — thicker wall
- Hops pollen — effectively indistinguishable by light microscopy
Allergy relevance
Recognized as an aeroallergen; sensitized people report rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma symptoms near outdoor grows, and cross-reactivity with certain foods has been described.
Where it's found
Wherever outdoor hemp or cannabis is grown, and along waterways in the Midwest and Plains.
Also searched as: cannabis pollen, hemp pollen, marijuana pollen allergy, cannabis sativa pollen.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Cannabis — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/cannabis-pollen-1c7b68
Expert discussion
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