GreenLeaf Nov 2021

Delta 8:
A Dangerous Side Effect Of Keeping Cannabis I legal
by Jarrett Ashley
“Delta-8 THC” has exploded into the market in a big
way. You can hardly go to the gas station anymore
without seeing some sort of delta-8 product. Just on
the heels of the CBD craze that spread across the
country, it seems at first glance like another win for the
cannabis legalization and access efforts. In some small
ways, it is - but is there more to it? Is it potentially a
set-back, or worse - a pathway to tighter controls on
ALL cannabis, just as the industry is starting to flourish
and spread? Is it possible that delta-8 is just the
newest example in a long line of cheap, unregulated
“legal highs” with unfortunately dangerous side effects?
With all the attention from authorities, in particular in
states with legal cannabis, it seems that at a minimum
there are some major red flags to address concerning
delta-8.
I know I might ruffle some feathers with this article. I
understand these products are a source of high profits
for a lot of shops out there from small boutiques to
smoke shops and vape shops in areas where the real
deal is still criminalized or otherwise inaccessible. I’m
going to ask you to consider whether it’s worth it to
know what you are selling to people or better to just
make as much money as possible. If it’s the latter, I’m
not sure why you’d read an article of mine because I
have definitely ragged on you in the past and will likely
do so in this piece as well. If you’re in it because you
care about the culture, the cause, or at the very least
the customers in the cannabis market, you may want
to know a few things about these delta 8 products and
how they are hurting, not only people, but the legalization
effort as well. With that said, let’s get into it.
What is Delta 8?
Delta-8 THC is a naturally occurring cannabinoid.
It is present in both recreational/medical cannabis
as well as industrial hemp that the majority of CBD
products are derived from. It has been compared to the
better known psychoactive component THC delta-9
in the same way commercial light beer is compared to
craft brew. delta 8 is supposed to get you “high”, but
nowhere near as high as delta 9. Having used delta-9
products for a long time and trying a few Delta 8 products
(before I realized the downsides) out of curiosity
- I can tell you they are worlds apart. Not simply in the
level of the high but in the quality and characteristics
of it as well. There's more of a “I think I feel something
in my body” with delta-8 than the more profound “Let
me ponder the meaning of my own existence” with
delta-9, but that’s maybe for a more philosophical conversation
another time.
If all of this is sounding good to you, you’re not alone.
It sounded good to me too and to many countless
people across the country. People like my mother
who became believers in the benefits of various CBD
products and had their curiosity peaked by this new
product suddenly available to them. The switch came
for me when I was reading the jar of the delta-8 flower
she had picked up from a local health boutique. In
tiny text under the giant “THC △8” on the label, it said
“infused hemp flower”. I immediately told my mom to
stop using it and started to do some initial homework.
“Infused” meant they were adding something to the
flower and that was a massive red flag for me.
While delta-8 THC is naturally present it is not present
in significant amounts and is nearly undetectable in lab
tests. In other words, there is only an extremely tiny
amount of “naturally occurring” Delta-8 in any cannabis
plant. The amount is so small that even a field of
hemp would barely produce enough to make one vape
cartridge. So what do you do? You make it. The delta-8
THC craze was triggered when an oversupply of CBD
extracted from US-grown hemp caused the price of
CBD to drop. That’s how the market is supposed to
work by the way and it ultimately benefits end consumers
but unsurprisingly, producers began looking
for ways to turn the CBD into something more profitable.
Thus, the main source of delta-8 is CBD itself, not
CBD rich hemp plants as we are led to believe. In order
to have enough to create a profitable market, they
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