Delta 8 THC / CBD Benefits

 

With the growing demand for Delta 8 and CBD products as a healthier alternative to over-the-counter medication, more educational information can be discovered online. Consumers should have no problem researching delta 8 ad cbd benefits, effects,  affects, laws, distribution, definition, or differences, etc… 

 

 

 

What is Delta 8?

 

Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as delta-8 THC, is a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties. Delta-8 THC is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant but is not found in significant amounts in the cannabis plant. As a result, concentrated amounts of delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), explained in the 5 things to know about Delta 8 article by FDA.gov.  

 

 

 

The Differences?

 

Texastribune.org wrote about the difference between hemp, marijuana, CBD and Delta-8. The article reads:

 

Marijuana and hemp are often indistinguishable by look or smell because they both come from the cannabis plant. The difference amounts to how much of the psychoactive compound THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, they contain.

 

Marijuana is classified as a cannabis plant or its derivatives that have a THC concentration of more than 0.3%. If the substance has less THC, it’s considered hemp.

 

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a nonpsychoactive compound of cannabis. Businesses may sell it throughout Texas as long as its THC concentration is less than 0.3%. Supporters claim it can alleviate conditions such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t evaluated many of those claims and has approved only one CBD treatment so far, Epidiolex, to treat seizures related to a rare genetic disease. 

 

Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is naturally produced in small amounts by cannabis plants. When concentrated in a lab, delta-8 can produce a similar “high” to marijuana, leading to its popularization.

 

 

 

 

Delta-8 THC and Delta 9 THC Similarities and Differences

 

Both delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC are composed of the same set of elements (carbon, hydrogen and oxygen), only differing slightly in how those elements are arranged, says Dr. Gordon. Although similarly composed, delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC exhibit many differences, according to Forbes.com.

 

 

 

Similarities

 

Delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC can produce the positive or adverse effects mentioned above, since both delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC activate the body’s CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, including those in the central nervous system.

 

“Activating CB1 receptors can reduce pain, help with sleep, increase relaxation, calm an overactive nervous system, improve appetite, protect and heal nerves and prevent sensory overstimulation,” says Dr. Gordon.

 

“Activating CB2 receptors primarily calms an overactive immune system and reduces inflammation, both of which are crucial to improving many chronic conditions.”

 

Meanwhile, overstimulation of CB1 receptors by overconsumption of delta-8 THC or delta-9 THC can cause lethargy, disorientation, anxiety (and potentially panic), dry mouth and eyes, increased heart rate and loss of coordination, adds Dr. Gordon.

 

 

 

Differences

 

Delta-9 THC has been studied extensively for nearly 60 years, but little research is published on delta-8 THC, says Dr. Gordon. Another major difference is how they are (or aren’t) regulated.

“Delta-9 THC is highly regulated in states where legalization measures have passed with specific rules on testing, extracting and labeling,” he adds. But many manufacturers of delta-8 THC products aren’t following specific regulations, says Dr. Gordon. For example, they may not ensure their products are free of adulterants or that the end product contains exactly what’s stated on the label.

 

Potency is another difference between delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC. “I think it’s reasonable to assume properly labeled delta-8 THC would be about one-quarter to one-third less potent than an equivalent amount of delta-9 THC,” says Dr. Gordon.

 

 

 

Delta-8 Potential Benefits

 

Making general statements about whether using cannabis is good or bad doesn’t paint an accurate picture of delta-8 THC or delta-9 THC, says Dave Gordon, M.D., a double-board certified integrative and functional medicine physician with expertise in cannabis therapeutics and advisory board member for Leaf411, an online resource for using cannabis safely and effectively explains forbes.com.

 

To understand the risks and benefits of delta-8 THC or delta-9 THC, according to Dr. Gordon, consider:

 

 

With that said, potential benefits of delta-8 THC may include:

 

 

 

 

Can Delta-8 Show Up on a Drug Test?

 

Unlike delta-9 THC, delta-8 THC probably won’t lead to a positive result for THC on a drug test unless the test specifically searches for delta-8 THC metabolites. However, if the delta-8 THC product contains concentrations of delta-9 THC, a drug test may show a positive result for THC. With the increasing popularity of delta-8 THC, some commercial laboratories are now adding confirmation analysis for delta-8 THC to drug tests.

 

 

In short, it’s impossible to definitively say that delta-8 THC won’t show a positive result on a drug test, as it comes down to the quality and contents of the specific delta-8 THC product used, as well as the type of drug test administered, says forbes.com.

 

 

 

 

Delta-8 THC products should be kept out of reach of children and pets

 

Manufacturers are packaging and labeling these products in ways that may appeal to children (gummies, chocolates, cookies, candies, etc.). These products may be purchased online, as well as at a variety of retailers, including convenience stores and gas stations, where there may not be age limits on who can purchase these products.

 

Unfortunately, there have been numerous poison control center alerts involving pediatric patients who were exposed to delta-8 THC-containing products. Additionally, animal poison control centers have indicated a sharp overall increase in accidental exposure of pets to these products. Keep these products out of reach of children and pets. 

 

 

 

 

Texas laws for Delta-8 usage

 

It is still illegal to use or possess marijuana under Texas law — and has been since 1931. What changed in 2019 is that hemp is considered different from marijuana.

Hemp was made legal federally by the 2018 Farm Bill and in Texas by House Bill 1325, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2019. Now, CBD products are being sold across the state.

 

 

Manufacturing, however, is a separate issue. While hemp is legal to buy, sell and possess, the Texas Department of State Health Services bans the processing and manufacturing of smokable hemp within the state. That ban was upheld by a Texas Supreme Court ruling in June 2022, according to the Dallas Observer.

 

Medical cannabis is legal in Texas in very limited circumstances. Through the Texas Compassionate Use Program, Texans with a variety of conditions — such as epilepsy, autism, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder — can access cannabis oil with less than 1% THC by weight.

 

Medical cannabis can treat the symptoms of some of these diseases or reduce the side effects of other treatments, such as alleviating the nausea and loss of appetite associated with chemotherapy or reducing nightmares in patients with PTSD.

 

 

 

 

What are the legal penalties of marijuana possession in Texas?

 

In Texas, possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor, which can be punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

 

Possession of 2 ounces to 4 ounces of marijuana is a Class A misdemeanor that can result in a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in county jail. Possession of any amount more than 4 ounces would result in a felony charge.

 

Possession of drug paraphernalia — such as pipes or bongs, but not marijuana itself — is a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to $500, but no jail time.

 

 

 

 

 

How are cities and counties handling marijuana possession?

 

Many Texas prosecutors, Republicans and Democrats alike, are dropping low-level marijuana possession charges and declining to pursue new ones altogether.

 

Before the hemp law passed, law enforcement agencies in Harris, Dallas, Bexar and Nueces counties had already stopped arresting many people found with small amounts of the drug on a first offense. Instead, they may offer diversion programs to keep defendants out of jail or issue citations for people with a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.

 

In June 2019, the Texas Department of Public Safety — the state’s largest law enforcement agency — ordered its officers not to arrest people but to issue citations if possible in misdemeanor marijuana possession cases, which still carry a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

 

The Austin City Council voted unanimously in January 2020 to end most arrests and fines — and ban spending city funds on testing — for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Those policies were codified this May, when Austin voters approved a ballot measure effectively decriminalizing marijuana.

 

Other cities, such as El Paso and Plano, have begun using “cite-and-release” policies, in which people found possessing small amounts of marijuana will be cited instead of arrested. These policies don’t completely decriminalize marijuana— those cited may still face fines and potential jail time — but they do reduce arrests and immediate jail time.

 

In Bexar County, cite-and-release policies saved $2.6 million in taxpayer money between July 2019 and December 2020 by reducing the number of people held in county jail for misdemeanor marijuana offenses and the number of cases being prosecuted by the local district attorney, according to KSAT.

 

 

 

 

All the information provided can be found online associated with the links within the article.