Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC) products are available at cannabis dispensaries in states where recreational or medical marijuana use is legal. Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, or delta-8 THC, is also legal in some states. It is a cannabis compound that is less potent than delta-9 THC but has the same psychoactive effects.
Delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC are derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant, which contains more than one hundred cannabinoids or active ingredients. But while the plant has a lot of delta-9 THC, it has minimal delta-8 THC, a less important cannabinoid.
Both new delta-8 carts and delta-9 can make you feel “high” or intoxicated, depending on the quality, amount, and other factors. Even though delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC are similar in some ways, they are also different in important ways that you should know about before you use either one.
Read on to learn more about delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC, including how they are alike and different, what risks and benefits they might have, and more.
What is THC Delta-8?
Since cannabis Sativa only has a small amount of delta-8 THC, it is usually made in concentrated amounts from cannabidiol that comes from hemp (CBD). CBD doesn’t make you feel high, but delta-8 THC is similar to delta-9 THC in that it makes you feel high, though it’s usually not as strong as delta-9.
Delta-8 THC comes in many forms, like gummies, candies and other chocolates, cookies, vaping cartridges, and even breakfast cereal.
Some companies sell cheap delta-8 carts products as treatments or cures for medical conditions, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has neither looked into these claims nor given its approval. The FDA warned five companies that made delta-8 THC products in May 2022 for breaking the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Potential Benefits
Dr. Dave Gordon, specializes in integrative and functional medicine and has extensive knowledge of cannabis therapeutics. He believes that blanket statements about the benefits or drawbacks of cannabis use fail to provide a clear image of delta-8 THC or delta-9 THC.
Some possible benefits of delta-8 THC could be:
- Pain relief
- Improved the quality of sleep
- The calming of a nervous system or immune system that is working too hard.
- Increased hunger
- Stopping sensory overstimulation
- Decreased swelling
What is THC Delta-9?
Delta-9 THC is the main part of the cannabis plant that makes people feel high. When someone smokes more than a certain amount of delta-9 THC, they usually feel “high.”
Delta-9 THC is legal in some states, and cannabis dispensaries sell it in various forms, such as gummies, cookies, vaping cartridges, candies, tinctures, topical lotions, tinctures, and “joints” that are already rolled.
Some companies sell delta-9 THC products, claiming they can treat or lessen the symptoms of certain diseases or medical conditions. But the FDA has only approved two forms of synthetic THC: dronabinol and nabilone. These are used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Nabilone is also used to make people with AIDS eat more.
Potential Benefits
Some possible benefits of using delta-9 THC could be:
- Relaxation
- Lessened stress
- Increased hunger
- Emotions of happiness or excitement
- Raise the level of thought
- A better sense of things
According to Dr. Gordon, delta-9 THC may help treat nausea and vomiting caused by seizure disorders, chemotherapy, chronic pain, spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), and sleep problems in people with other long-term conditions.
Are Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC Legal?
Delta-8 cart is legal at the federal level but not in all states. Delta-9 THC is against the law at the federal level, but it is legal for recreational and medical use in many states. Even so, the laws about how delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC can be made, sold, and users are constantly changing.