Delta-8 THC is a psychoactive compound often sold as a legal alternative to cannabis. It is made by converting cannabidiol or delta-9-THC through a process called isomerization. Many US manufacturers have claimed that products containing delta-8 THC from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) comply with the 2018 Farm Bill and thus can be sold legally in most US states.
In the current study, researchers investigated the use of delta-8 THC across the US according to different state policies around the substance and cannabis. To do so, they conducted a web-based survey of 1,523 adults and weighted the results to represent the US national population.
Altogether, 7.7% of participants reported using delta-8 THC at some point during their lifetime. Whereas 10.9% of adults used the substance in states that prohibit all cannabis use, just 5.5% and 8.5% used the substance in states that permitted either recreational use or medical use only.
The researchers further found that among states that regulated delta-8 THC sales, 3.9% of the population used the substance compared to 4.5% in states where sales were prohibited. Meanwhile, 10.5% of adults used the substance in states with unregulated markets.
The researchers suggest that clearer, nationwide standards for delta-8 THC could help reduce potential harms.
“We often think banning a product solves the problem. But when the market moves faster than regulation, it can create new problems. If we want to reduce harm, we need policies that reflect how people actually behave, not just how we hope they will,” said senior author of the study, Eric Leas, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego, in a press release.
Sources: EurekALert, American Journal of Preventive Medicine
