What is Delta 8 THC?

Delta 8 THC – The Legal THC

“THC” has historically been used as a shorthand abbreviation for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. It is this kind of THC that is most expressed in the smokable flowers typically referred to as marijuana and is responsible for its psychoactive properties, producing a high. For many, this is an undesirable effect, especially at the increasingly high delta-9-THC content levels you find in most medical marijuana products today.

When the Farm Bill was enacted in December of 2018, it legalized Cannabis with a Delta 9 THC content of under 0.3%. This opened a new door for the industry, allowing licensed Hemp Companies to explore new, previously understudied cannabinoids. In addition to CBD, CBG, CBN, other cannabinoids are now being focused on for research, extraction, and distribution – safely and legally. Recently, just in the last few months, a new product has come to market – delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol. Also called Delta 8, D8, delta-8, delta-8-THC, or Δ8 THC, it is one of the most exciting and promising cannabinoids to hit the market since CBD.

What does the research say about Delta 8 THC?

Delta 8 THC has surprising therapeutic and medical potential, just like it’s sister Delta 9 THC. According to the National Cancer Institute, delta-8-THC can be defined as: “An analog of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with antiemetic (inhibits vomit and nausea), anxiolytic (fights anxiety and panic attacks), appetite-stimulating, analgesic (relieves pain), and neuroprotective (prevents the aging of nerve cells) properties…[and] exhibits a lower psychotropic potency than [Delta 9 THC], the primary form of THC found in cannabis.”

Delta 8 THC is naturally occurring in the cannabis plant, but only in minute doses. Delta 8 can be extracted in its natural form, but it would take a lot of plant material to generate a small amount of delta 8 concentrate. Most Delta 8 available for purchase is synthesized from other cannabinoids, mostly from CBD. To find out more about how to make Delta 8, check out our article.