Delta-8 THC Is Getting Popular Among Teens At School
The use of Delta-8 THC is becoming significant among high school students, according to a new national survey.
The findings published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveal that 11.4% of high school students used delta-8 THC in the past year.
What Is Delta-8 THC?
Delta-8 THC is an isomer of Delta-9 THC, which is the primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana. Both delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC interact with cannabinoid receptors in the body through the endocannabinoid system, resulting in reportedly similar, though milder, intoxicating effects.
However, they differ in their legal status. While delta-9 THC is naturally occurring in marijuana, which falls under federally regulated controlled substances, delta-8 THC is derived from hemp, which is none other than another term to indicate a type of marijuana with a low level of Delta-8 THC grown for industrial use.
But as hemp cultivation was federally legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill, delta-8 THC products began to be commercially manufactured and sold across the nation, especially in those states that haven’t legalized adult-use marijuana.
What makes delta-8 THC products unique is the fact that they are marketed as offering a user experience similar to marijuana but are considered federally legal because they are derived from hemp. However, delta-8 THC is not federally regulated and sits in a grey area.
As a result, the lack of proper regulation of delta-8 THC products has led several U.S. states to both regulate or ban these products, which are sold mainly in the form of edibles, electronic vaping devices, and flowers.
