Although it didn’t specifically address delta-8-THC, the 2018 US Farm Bill effectively legalized it through a loophole that allowed the sale of hemp-derived delta-8-THC products in areas where recreational use of cannabis was prohibited, as well as where medicinal marijuana required medical authorization.
Now, researchers from the University at Buffalo and the University of Michigan are shedding new light on the compound.
It’s the largest study to date on users’ experiences with delta-8.
“Because this is one of the first studies of its kind on delta-8-THC and so many states have changed their legislation, we wanted to really explore what people felt as they were using it compared to delta-9-THC.
Research on delta-8-THC is scarce, and the Krugers’ work comes as more states are legalizing cannabis for recreational and medicinal use, while prohibiting delta-8-THC.
Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol is more potent than delta-8 and accounts for most of the THC that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant, which makes it easy to extract, explaining why it’s more commonly smoked.
“A lot of customers that use delta-8 are so happy with its therapeutic effects, and they’re worried it might be taken away.
“There’s this huge boom in cannabis-related research now, just as there is in the cannabis industry, but there are still so many unknowns,” says Daniel Kruger.