Cannabis is a hot topic across the U.S. these days, with 37 states currently experiencing burgeoning medical cannabis programs and 21 of those states also supporting an even more robust adult-use recreational market. Dispensaries seem to be popping up everywhere and patients turning to more natural remedies like whole-plant cannabis and isolated cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and THC are becoming more mainstream than most ever thought likely to occur.
Then, in 2018, the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, better known as the 2018 Farm Bill, legalized the commercial production of industrial hemp in the United States and clearly defines the distinction between marijuana and hemp. According to Congress, any cannabis plant that contains less than .3% Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC or simply D9) is considered industrial hemp and is free to be processed and sold on the open market across the U.S. This created an enormous supply of hemp-derived CBD, with farmers from coast-to-coast joining the “green rush.” When this supply outpaced the demand, some creative chemists saw an opportunity. That opportunity was Delta-8 THC.
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The cannabis plant contains 100’s of active compounds and all of them, except for Delta-9 THC, are completely Federally legal as outlined in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Most of us were blissfully unaware that an almost identical molecule, Delta-8 THC, could be manufactured from hemp-derived CBD through a relatively simple laboratory process. Delta-8 is an isomer of Delta-9. An isomer is a compound with the same chemical formula arranged in a different order. So, through isomerization of CBD, Delta-8 THC is created. While still highly psychoactive, it turns out Delta-8 is slightly less potent than Delta-9 and, for most users, provides a much milder experience. Most reports are consistent, claiming less paranoia and a more energetic experience than with Delta-9.
Due to the fact that cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it supposedly has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” there have been few studies conducted to date on its therapeutic effects. However, the United States government was granted patent #6630507 in 2003 titled “Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants,” so we implore you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Cannabis has a long history of being used in medicine here in the U.S. prior to its demonization in the late 1960’s. Doctors freely prescribed cannabis for many common ailments and at least 2 pharmaceutical giants, Parke-Davis and Eli Lily, were selling standardized extracts of cannabis for use as an analgesic, an antispasmodic and sedative up until the mid-1930’s when aspirin and opiate-based drugs became the norm for pain control in hospitals in the U.S.
Delta-8 is available in many dosage forms including gummies, cereal treats, and other baked goods, as well vape carts and disposables. What should consumers look for when selecting Delta-8 products? First thing is to make sure the product has been tested for potency. Not all Delta-8 is created equally, so you want to make sure the products you choose to consume are tested by an independent 3rd-party lab. Most states have rolled out detailed regulations for manufacturers to follow which include not only potency testing but also heavy metals, residual solvents, and microbial contamination. These tests should be made available on the company’s website for public view. All these regulations are in place to ensure we’re consuming quality products, free from contamination. If there’s no testing available online, consensus is to steer clear of those products/brands.
First time trying Delta-8? Start low and take it slow is sage advice in our books. Edibles sometime take a while to kick in (sometimes up to 90 minutes), so don’t be so quick to re-dose because you’re not feeling it yet; you can always eat more. Vapes and smokeable flower give a more instant experience, yet typically shorter in duration than edibles.