Thank goodness I found this web site. I thought, as did you all, that the bruising I had was from scratching. I got red dots (like bruising you get when you play volley ball and you hit the ball with your forearm) from scratching for sure, but I was very confused when the dark black/blue/purple bruises appeared. I don't think that they came from scratching. I assume it is because I had a heavy dose of exposure and thus have a systemic reaction. Zanfel and Predisone are my best friends right now. No more weed pulling for me! Good Luck with your recovery!