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Delta-8 THC has exploded in popularity across the United States as an alternate, legal form of marijuana.
You can find products containing delta-8 in gas stations, vape shops and online stores just about everywhere in states where it’s not prohibited. But the substance is raising red flags with health experts and regulators, and for good reason.
Hospitals and poison control centers have seen a spike in cases where thousands of people have reported getting sick from exposure to delta-8 THC. Lackluster regulation of the industry is partly to blame, say experts.
If you plan on buying delta-8 for 4/20, which is widely celebrated by the cannabis community, here are some facts you should know.
What is delta-8?
Delta-8 THC is a chemical compound produced from hemp, a species of plant in the cannabis family. The compound is psychoactive, meaning it can get you “high,” though users have described delta-8 as a sort of “diet weed.” Its effects are weaker than delta-9 THC, the intoxicating component found in marijuana.
That’s a key difference between delta-8 and delta-9. While marijuana is still illegal both in Indiana and roughly half the rest of the country, hemp — at the federal level — is not. It has no more than 0.3% of THC. The problem, experts say, is what manufacturers are doing when extracting that THC to create their product.
Is delta-8 safe?
While advocates claim delta-8 can help people manage joint pain and aid their sleep, the FDA strongly discourages people from using it. These products are not evaluated or approved by the federal agency.
Between Dec. 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2022, the agency received 104 reports of adverse reactions to delta-8 THC including hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness, and regulators have found cases like these are continuing to rise.
More than 8,000 delta-8 related calls were logged at America’s Poison Centers, which represents 55 poison control centers around the U.S., from 2021 to 2023, according to an investigation by the USA TODAY Network.
How is delta-8 legal?
Delta-8 products would be illegal if not for a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill, which created a distinction between marijuana and hemp. Any cannabinoid derived from hemp, according to the bill, is legal so long as the final product has less than 0.3% THC.
The bill effectively transferred hemp from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act to the Department of Agriculture. Growers across the country seized on the opportunity and the “diet weed” industry boomed.
In May 2022, a federal appeals court upheld that delta-8 products were legal under the Farm Bill. If an unintended loophole was created, the court said, “then it is for Congress to fix its mistake.” In the years since, states have banned or restricted delta-8, while others are working to regulate the industry.
Two years ago during the 2022 growing season, Indiana issued 87 hemp licenses to 38 growers, 30 handlers and 19 grower/handlers.
Map of where hemp is grown in Indiana
Is delta-8 good for anxiety?
Some people think so. Others have reported it makes their anxiety worse.
What are the benefits of delta-8 THC?
The benefits of delta-8 THC are being investigated by medical experts. Some studies have suggested delta-8 can potentially treat a range of health and medical conditions, including anxiety, stress, depression and chronic pain, but experts caution considerable research still needs to be done to verify how effective such treatments are and the risks they pose.
People have described having different reactions to delta-8 THC — some good, some bad. Those wanting to try it should talk with their doctor first, and be prepared to ask a lot of questions about how it could impact their health.
What about advertising promising delta-8 is ‘all natural’?
Don’t swallow advertising claims hoping you conflate “all natural” with “all good.” Just because something is “all natural” doesn’t mean it’s benign or safe to consume. Poison Ivy is “all natural.” So too is belladonna, nightshade, arsenic and lead. What matters, say experts, is how much of these foreign substances enter a person’s body.
Because the amount of delta-8 THC in hemp is very low, manufacturers use additional chemicals when creating their products. The FDA, on releasing its guidelines for delta-8, said the process is unregulated and fraught with potential harm to consumers.
Manufacturing delta-8 can take place in unsanitary working conditions, says the FDA. It can involve unsafe household chemicals at dangerous amounts that can leave people feeling sick.
The bottom line is that consumers are putting their safety on the line because they don’t always know they’re getting with delta-8 THC.
Others are reading:Ohio voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Why Indiana is unlikely to do the same
John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.
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