How do you outlaw something that is already illegal?
You’ve probably seen the signs outside some of your local convenience stores – “Delta-8 sold here!” No restrictions, no warnings… it’s just out there in front like it’s a pack of chewing gum. But Delta-8 is the newest gray-area the marijuana industry is using to market THC products to the public.
So what exactly is Delta-8? Delta-8 is short for Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, which is an isomer (or a chemical variant) derived from THC. Delta-8 occurs naturally in cannabis, but only at very small levels. Due to a variety of different laws and regulations, Delta-8 is in a legal gray-area that is being exploited by marijuana manufacturers.
Although Delta-8 is technically illegal, a 2018 Farm Bill legalized the growing of industrial hemp, which naturally has low-amounts of THC and Delta-8 within it. Because of this law, many in the marijuana industry see Delta-8 as being technically legal…even though the DEA says otherwise.
However, recent technological advancements have allowed marijuana manufacturers to use toxic solvents to synthesize Delta-8 from hemp to create a much more potent version of the chemical. This Delta-8 isn’t natural and has a large amount of chemical byproducts that even those in the marijuana industry are worried about!
““My concern is that we have no idea what these products are,” says Christopher Hudalla, president and chief scientific officer of ProVerde Laboratories. “Consumers are being used as guinea pigs. To me, that’s horrific.”
That same lab Dr. Hudalla works at found over 30 unknown components when they were investigating Delta-8. These Delta-8 manufacturers are mostly companies who want to make a quick buck and exit the market just as fast as they entered it. These companies are making money by putting your health at risk!
Just because you can buy it at a store doesn’t mean it’s safe. With little to no regulatory oversight for Delta-8, who knows what you might be putting into your body?
