Delta 8 tetrahydrocannabinol or Delta 8 THC is a chemical compound found in small traces of hemp plants or cannabis plants. It is a popular THC product found in boutique weed dispensaries, convenience stores, and gas stations.
Today, you will learn everything you need to know about Delta 8 THC, including its chemical structure, therapeutic aspects, psychoactive effects, and other potential benefits. You will also read about the safety concerns, age restrictions, and other aspects on the federal level.
What is Delta 8 THC?
The psychoactive substance delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, often known as delta-8 THC, is present in the Cannabis sativa plant. Delta-8 THC is one of more than 100 other cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant. However, it isn’t found in large concentrations.
You may already know what biphasic is if you have heard of Sativa, hybrid, and India. If you take Delta 8 THC in tiny dosages, it will provide a slight Sativa-like euphoric effect. Delta-8 THC works as an Indica when used in higher doses, providing full-body relaxation and calming effects. The term biphasic means that your results are dependent on your dosage, just like what happens when you take CBD oils. This can also be applied in Delta 8 THC usages.
Identifying Delta 8 THC can be confusing because it resembles regular marijuana. This is because, just like marijuana, Delta 8 THC is also a cannabis plant since it is hemp. The key distinction is that marijuana is naturally psychoactive, whereas hemp requires a push for its intoxicating effects.
Difference between Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC
The main reason why Delta 8 THC products are popular is that these cannabis products have the same chemical structure that is naturally found in Delta 9 THC. Both have a psychoactive compound that gets you high.
Even though Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC both produce a fuzzy and euphoric feeling, Delta 8 THC has a milder high, which is why it is referred to as “diet weed” or “marijuana-lite.”
Like delta 9, the THC in Delta 8 is injected into the body’s endocannabinoid system, which causes heightened feelings. Biologically, Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC differ by having a double bond in a structure.
It is believed that a double bond produces an intoxicating feeling of high energy. Both cannabinoids are carbon atom chains, but Delta 8 THC has a double bond on the eighth and Delta 9 THC on the second carbon.
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Difference between Delta 8 and CBD products
Most people are familiar with cannabidiol (CBD), which has been in the news often since it became legal in the last few years. CBD is well-known for its medical benefits, used to treat many illnesses and disorders.
It can be easy to confuse CBD products with Delta 8 THC products. It would be best to remember that, unlike CBD products, Delta 8 THC causes psychoactive effects.
Since CBD does not produce psychoactive effects, some people prefer to use Delta 8 THC instead. This is because Delta 8 THC can reduce anxiety due to the “high” that its consumers experience during consumption or inhalation.
How is Delta 8 THC made?
Delta 8 THC can be found in trace amounts in a cannabis plant. This cannabis product is CBD extracted, meaning the CBD is removed from the hemp. The CBD isolate is typically synthesized to produce Delta 8 THC.
Some manufacturers use potentially household chemicals in this chemical synthesis procedure to produce delta-8 THC. To modify the final product’s color, additional chemicals may be applied.
Benefits of Delta 8 THC
The potential health benefits of using Delta 8 THC products involve calming nausea, boosting appetite, and easing pain. However, these positive health effects still require more research.
If you’ve never taken any cannabis before, the effects of delta 8 THC may be described in one word: relaxing.
Delta 8 THC’s high is exceptionally calming, putting you in a mellow condition. Lower doses tend to improve mood and increase energy levels, while consuming more significant amounts can reduce pain and feel other sedative effects.
Anxiety and paranoia are common adverse effects reported by Delta 9 THC users, typically consumed in large doses. Delta 8 THC differs significantly since you won’t feel out of control. Even if it may cause intoxication, you can still feel in control of the situation no matter how high you are.
Many people also find that Delta 8 THC doesn’t feel tired unless taken in large doses. The high induces relaxation without causing you to become sleepy.
Delta 8 THC also appears to be more effective at increasing appetite than Delta 9 THC by stimulating your appetite twice as much. A single dose can significantly enhance your appetite. These characteristics make delta 8 THC a promising treatment option for patients suffering from a lack of appetite or eating disorders.
You probably already know that many patients vomit during a chemotherapy session for medical care. It is believed that oral and intravenous administration of Delta 8 THC to patients prevents them from vomiting during cancer treatment.
Negative effects of Delta 8 THC
Delta 8 THC with lower potency causes milder drowsiness. Some adverse effects of this substance use also involve low blood pressure, slow or fast heart rate, and numbness. This compound’s psychoactive effects also involve confusion and paranoia.
In addition, since Delta 8 THC can be easily purchased online, there have been multiple alerts to poison control centers regarding eight pediatric cancer patients who have been exposed to Delta 8 THC medication.
Moreover, as per an article published in the journal Chemical and Engineering News, products containing Delta 8 THC can also contain Delta 9 THC and Delta 10 THC. However, whether these by-products can be consumed without producing ill effects is still unknown.
Tips on how to find the best Delta 8 THC products
Delta 8 THC products can be sold as candies, gummies, oils, edibles, joints, beverages, and even vaping pens. However, note that there is no quality control for Delta 8 THC products, so make sure to do more research about their psychoactive effects. Health effects and even its medicinal chemistry.
When purchasing Delta 8 products, you should look for details on how the brand produces its items. The final product usually comes with QR codes or batch numbers which are easy to find on the manufacturer’s website. Avoid items with no test results, as it will be difficult for you to know whether the product contains Delta 8 THC or if it has a cannabis compound that could have potentially dangerous effects.
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Delta 8 THC FAQs
Since there are still only a few pieces of research done regarding Delta 8 TLC products, many questions are being raised regarding its effects and usage. Take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about Delta 8 THC below:
How much Delta 8 THC should I take?
Delta 8 THC has milder effects for experienced cannabis consumers. But for those who are new to cannabis, Delta 8 THC could substantially impact your body’s endocannabinoid system. People can take full or half of those for regular THC gummies in 10mg.
However, Delta 8 THC comes in 25 mg gummies, so only half of it is recommended for new users. Since there is very little research done on the Delta 8 THC, you should take a small amount at first and then wait for its effects before taking more.
Delta 8 THC has a slower onset than Delta 9 THC since it can kick in anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. To avoid adverse effects, make sure you wait a long time before taking another dose.
Is Delta 8 THC legal?
Delta 8 THC is still under a legal gray area. At the moment, there is very little state legislation specifically concerning these hemp-derived products. Most state laws involving Delta 8 THC, Delta 9 THC, or any cannabis use are legally based on federal law.
Based on the federal farm bill, Agriculture and Nutrition Improvement Act of 2018, hemp and other cannabis products are removed from the list of controlled substances. This is due to low THC levels of hemp-derived CBD products, less than 0.3%.
The farm bill does not mention Delta 8 THC as a controlled substance. This is why there are countless products sold within the unregulated market. These hemp-driven products don’t even have age restrictions, making them one of the most popular cannabis products in the hemp industry.
However, these hemp-derived CBD products are still considered federally illegal in some states, such as Colorado and New York. This is to prevent adverse events from happening to the public health caused by Delta 8 THC’s intoxicating effects and lack of lab testing.
Will I get high when I use Delta 8 THC?
Take note that THC can be harmful to some individuals and lead to paranoia. Delta-8 is relatively high with a smoother, milder finish. This makes it a perfect choice for those who like marijuana products with less THC.
Even if you’re a regular cannabis user, your experience might be influenced by your body’s tolerance and chemistry. You may require less to achieve the same effect at times, while you may need to raise your dosage at other times – especially once your tolerance to Delta 8 THC improves.
Can Delta 8 THC be detected on a drug test?
Published researches about Delta 8 THC are scarce, and the likelihood of the drug being tested for it hasn’t been thoroughly analyzed. However, it can mimic the morphogen Delta 9 THC and the regular THC, so it seems safe to assume that all Delta 9 THC testing also shows Delta 8 THC.
How the compounds interact with our bodies and how they differ from delta 9 THC interactions are unknown. Some people react fine to Delta 9 THC, but they react differently with other cannabinoids such as Delta 8 THC.
Since most commercial urine drug tests do not differentiate cannabinoid receptors. So, if you have been warned that you are getting injected with alcohol or other drugs, you should avoid using Delta 8 THC. This should be done, especially if you intend to have a drug test soon and you don’t want to test positive.
Is Delta 8 THC safe to use?
Since only a few lab tests go into this federally legal hemp, scientists and chemists have safety concerns regarding the usage of Delta 8 THC products. Leafly’s correspondent Marissa Wenzke studied Delta 8 THC’s safety characteristics. She said the most likely source of the threat was untested, unlicensed delta-8 THC vape cartridges purchased in the unregulated marketplace.
However, based on what Delta 8 THC users have reported, there are valuable health benefits that the product can give. The critical thing to remember is always to take it in moderation and observe its effects on your body before going for higher doses.
Conclusion
Delta 8 THC may be helpful in patients who experience the therapeutic and physical advantages of Delta 9 THC Products. Although a more systematic study backed by many participants is necessary to determine whether Delta 8 THC is a safe product, more and more people are still claiming that it produces positive mental and physical health.
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