Grindelia has antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, expectorant, and mild pain-relieving properties. It was formerly included in the United States Pharmacopoeia as an internal remedy for asthma, bronchitis, and other upper respiratory tract ailments. It is often blended with yerba santa, marshmallow root, licorice, and other respiratory herbs.

Grindelia is used topically for burns, poison oak, and other skin rashes. The tincture is beneficial when useful locally for poison oak rashes. It has a mild pain-relieving effect, but its main action is that of a protective barrier against inadvertently spreading the rash to other parts of the body. Grindelia also acts as an irritant aquaretic and antiinflammatory for chronic bladder infections.