Waterloo, Canada: Consumers are more likely to have first-hand experiences with unregulated, hemp-derived products containing delta-8 THC if they reside in states that lack legal access to cannabis, according to data published in the journal Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research.
Researchers from Canada and the United States reviewed responses from a cohort of nearly 70,000 people between the ages of 16 and 65.
Consistent with prior surveys, respondents acknowledged greater awareness of delta-8 THC products – as well as being more likely to have used the products – in jurisdictions without legal access to either medical cannabis or adult-use marijuana. Specifically, the percentage of respondents who said that they had “ever used” delta-8 THC products was nearly twice as high in illegal states (11.2 percent) as it was in jurisdictions with regulated adult-use markets (6.5 percent).
Although delta-8 THC occurs organically in the cannabis plant, it is typically only produced in nominal quantities. By contrast, the elevated quantities of delta-8 THC found in commercially available products are typically the result of a chemical synthesis during which manufacturers convert hemp-derived CBD to delta-8 THC. Manufacturers engaged in synthesizing delta-8 THC are not regulated and sometimes use potentially dangerous household products to facilitate this process. Lab analyses of unregulated delta-8 THC products have consistently found them to contain lower levels of the compound than advertised on the products’ labels. Some products have also been found to possess heavy metal contaminants and unlabeled cutting agents.
Last year, Congress approved legislation that included language federally recriminalizing most hemp-derived intoxicating products. In September, lawmakers approved separate legislation delaying the enactment of the ban until mid-December. On multiple occasions, the White House has lobbied lawmakers to reconsider the pending federal ban.
NORML has consistently urged federal officials to establish regulatory guidelines governing the production, testing, labeling, and marketing of hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
Full text of the study, “Awareness and use of delta-8 THC cannabis products in the United States: Findings from the National Surveys 2021 and 2022,” appears in Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research.