The legalization of cannabis in many forms is happening across the country. Some of the biggest markets are already forming in some states.(ex. CA, IL) Daily, news events are occurring in the US cannabis industry.

For many of us here in the United States, whether a consumer or a cannabis-related business, we are concerned with safety, availability, access, education, and growth. The Cannabis Reader will bring you the most important updates from the past month concerning hemp and cannabis.

Delta-8 Warning

On September 14, 2021, the FDC and CDC issued a public warning for Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol products. It has been reported that many Delta-8 products are being manufactured and sold with little or no laboratory testing. This has resulted in trips to the emergency room for some people.

What's Delta-8 THC?

Delta-8 THC is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound in cannabis and hemp. It is one of over 100 compounds present. Delta-8 is produced in very small quantities within the plant. It's calculated to be about 50% to 70% as psychoactive as Delta-9 THC.

To be able to extract Delta-8 THC, in a quantity usable for commercialization, products can be made from hemp-derived CBD and converted during a synthetic process. CBD is turned into Delta-8 THC through a chemical, synthetic process in a laboratory. By-products are created from the acid and solvents applied. These by-products can potentially be unhealthy to smoke, vape, or consume in any method.

What Prompted the Warning?

The FDA and CDC warn that there are several health issues associated with Delta-8 THC products. The passage of the Hemp Farm Bill Act of 2018, created a glut of CBD and hemp on the market with little outline or regulations as it pertains to hemp extracts. Seizing an opportunity, many companies sprung ahead with Delta-8 THC products.

Sales of these products are popping up just about everywhere, in marijuana and hemp markets. No regulatory guidance for testing means there are plenty of chances to have untested or ill-tested products available to unsuspecting people. A major health crisis is potentially in the making.

This is a hazardous avenue of producing and marketing,  supposedly healthy products. As we saw with the recent vaping crisis,(2019-2020) unwanted additives and by-products in items to be ingested or inhaled can severely damage a person's health or even kill them. Sixty people died during the vape crisis.

The by-products in the conversion process are not well defined. Numerous solvents are being used as well as acids. The filtering process is not 100% accurate under the best laboratory conditions. Even if the product states that it is purely Delta-8 THC, it could have CBD, Delta-9 THC, and other compounds you may never know exist in the product.

Why is Delta-8 So Dangerous?

There's no standardized testing process in place to test for contaminants, no labeling requirements yet. This is why there are so many people developing Delta-8 products, little to no oversight, and an excess of CBD that can be made into other compounds right in someone's garage. Most definitely not always under sterile conditions.

The conversion is not hard. A few simple steps, a few readily available hardware pieces, heat, and chemicals that can be easily purchased. This is allowing garage chemists to produce Delta-8 THC and circumvent safety concerns.

The issued warning noted increased availability of Delta-8 products and adverse events. This is due to insufficient labeling of products containing THC and CBD. Consumers should be able to know what they are consuming and ingesting.

The Case for Research and Testing

One adverse report was of a minor that got into an adult's Delta-8 gummies. An issue addressed was the fact that upon admittance to the hospital, there wasn't any test for Delta-8 toxicity. The test that works for Delta-9 does not work for Delta-8. Over 100 people have been hospitalized due to complications from Delta-8 products.

Without running massive toxicology tests, or having full disclosure, there's nothing to positively tell what the child ingested. Staff must simply treat the symptoms, observe the patient and attend to any other complications that could arise. More testing and research are needed to ensure safety.

What is the Fate of Delta-8?

The warning issued carries an important message to manufacturers of any size. The legality of Delta-8 products is decidedly in a grey area under Federal and some states laws. History has shown that the possibility of a crackdown on these unregulated products could be imminent.

[Reference cited: FDA.gov]

Written by Teresa Martin, Copywriter: Cannabis, Hemp, Medical

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