No matter where you look these days, you are bound to see someone talking about or selling delta-8. Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol can also be known as delta-8 THC, or D8, and is one of the newest items in the cannabis industry; In fact, it has become one of the fastest growing cannabis products of all time.
Despite their vast popularity, however, the public knowledge around new cannabis products is significantly lacking, and very few understand exactly what delta-8 actually is or where it comes from.
In this article, we will briefly go over the basics of delta-8 and why so many have begun to refer to it as “weed lite”.
What are Delta-8 THC Products?
Delta-8, delta-9, CBD, THC, and CBN are perhaps the most well-known cannabinoids, but they are only five out of over a hundred that are found in the cannabis plant.
Delta-8 products, just like the more common cannabidiol (CBD) products, are derived from hemp, which is a type of cannabis Sativa plant with a very low delta-9 THC count.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, as the name would suggest, is very similar to delta-8 and is also a form of THC. However, there are some key differences. Delta-9 THC is much more common and is what people refer to as THC generally. Delta-9 is a psychoactive compound, meaning that it will cause the user to feel “high”, which is generally why people use the cannabis plant recreationally.
Delta-8 also has psychoactive effects, but they are considered much milder. Delta-9 is generally taken from the marijuana plant, while commercial delta-8 must be taken from the hemp plant.
So to recap:
- Delta-8 is a cannabinoid like CBD
- Delta-8 is derived from hemp.
- Delta-8 has mild psychoactive effects.
Delta-8 only appears in hemp in small amounts. However, modern techniques have allowed us to extract it at increasingly efficient rates. Just like other cannabis products, delta-8 is put into a variety of formats for easier or more efficient consumption. You can find delta-8 vape options, tinctures, topicals, edibles like gummies, and many other formats.
Right now, in the UK, you will find any stand-alone delta-8 products for sale with other legal cannabis products like CBD oil because delta-8 THC itself is illegal to produce, own, or sell in the UK.
The Effects of Delta-8 THC
As we briefly mentioned earlier, delta-8 THC has similar psychotropic effects when compared to delta-9 THC (common THC), however, with a lower psychotropic potency. This has led to many claiming that delta-8 provides a more mellow pleasurable high without the same risk of paranoia and anxiety.
The Entourage effect
While delta-8 is not currently available as a standalone product in the UK, it sometimes can be found in full-spectrum CBD products made from hemp and at levels less than 1mg per product.
Cannabinoids have been found to work synergistically with one another within the body and become increasingly potent when taken together. For this reason, many people prefer full-spectrum CBD, where delta-8 is able to provide a welcome boost.
Delta-8, as with the other cannabinoids, interacts with receptors in our endocannabinoid system, and the hope is that one day we will be able to more fully understand in what ways these products can be used to benefit us and our long-term health.
Is Delta-8 THC Legal in the UK?
As of right now, delta-8 THC is not currently legal in the UK and is a controlled substance. The current legality of delta-8 is tied heavily to the legality of other THC products (THC derivatives and analogs are classified as Class B drugs).
No UK retailers sell pure, stand-alone delta-8 products.
Hopefully, advances and studies in foreign markets will cause this to change. In the United States, the 2018 Farm Bill allowed for a loophole where delta-8 became legal federally, and it became up to states like Michigan, New York, and Colorado to debate the laws amongst themselves.
Following this, there has been a growing trend of delta-8 being used for things like pain relief in the US. Remember, though, that delta-8 THC products have not been evaluated or approved for safe use in any context by the NHS or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For all intents and purposes, delta-8 is a limbo zone until more research and debate can be conducted. Make sure to follow the news closely as this is a fast moving topic.
Is Delta-8 Unsafe?
Something repeated very often regarding delta-8 is safety concerns. Delta-8 was in the news a couple of times when it caused some adverse events to occur. Some people taking delta-8 got sick, and many jumped to blame delta-8 itself.
It turns out that delta-8, in many ways, was a victim of its own popularity. When the legal loopholes in the US occurred, many people rushed to be the ones to make and sell delta-8 to a hungry market. This rush and the resulting faulty products are what led to the adverse effects and side effects. When making D8 incorrectly, you can leave behind harmful solvents.
The way that you make delta-8 supplements is complex and requires experienced hands. The issue comes when companies do not properly clean their delta-8 of by-products, heavy metals, and other harmful impurities following the use of solvents to alter the chemical structure of the plant.
Another major issue that made the news and hurt the reputation of Delta-8 was a series of incidents regarding mislabeling. In what appears to be multiple incidents, a number of people were hospitalized after accidentally taking a very large amount of delta-8 gummies and began to have very strong psychotropic side-effects.
The biggest risk is children and the fruity edible gummies that they mistake for candy. Many times kids have eaten too many of these powerful gummies and needed to be taken to get medical care.
While these are scary incidents, keep in mind overdosing on almost any product will have very harmful effects.
There is no study that shows that delta-8 itself is harmful -only psychotropic and prone to poor manufacturing. You must simply be careful about which manufacturers you trust and you should ensure that all the products you buy that may contain delta-8 are properly labeled and out of the reach of children. Take the time to reseal any bags and keep them separate from your general food items.
The Future of Delta-8 THC and the United Kingdom
While delta-8 is widely available elsewhere in the world and is growing quickly in popularity, the levels of delta-8 in UK products currently have to remain incredibly low. As of now, you could find delta-8 in a full-spectrum CBD product.
As more research is being conducted we will likely see delta-8 be evaluated by the NHS for its suitability in public usage. The hope is that one day delta-8 can find usage as a way to help boost pain relief and relaxation for those with digestive issues or chronic pain.
Right now many states in the United States are debating delta-8, how to regulate it, its uses, and the science so far that we have behind it. We will closely follow these developments as it can begin to shed light on the future of delta-8 in the rest of the world.]
