What is Delta-8 THC?

You might have heard people talking about Delta-8 THC. Before we can understand what Delta-8 THC is, we need to learn the difference between it and its big brother Delta-9 THC. Wait, there’s different types of THC? Yes! Out of the over 100 cannabinoids that have been discovered, there are more than one kind of THC. The THC that we have all grown to know and love is more specifically referred to as Delta-9 THC. It is the precious molecule that is responsible for getting you high after it is consumed. Delta-9 THC is also the molecule that is a schedule I drug according to the United States federal government. (Spoiler alter – Delta-8 THC is not a scheduled drug according to the US government)
So back to our question… what exactly is Delta-8 THC? Its hard to explain without getting into a little bit of chemistry. One of the first things to understand about chemistry is that tiny little manipulations can change a molecule drastically. The inclusion or exclusion of a single atom can create an entirely new molecule which can do entirely different things. Delta-9 THC has a chemical makeup that looks like this: C21H30O2. This means each molecule has 12 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and two oxygen atoms. I referred to Delta-8 as Delta-9’s little brother. Scientists refer to Delta 8 as an analogue molecule of Delta-9, meaning it has nearly the same chemical makeup as the molecule it’s analogue of, but with a minor difference. In this case, delta-8 THC, the analogue of delta-9 THC, has the exact same chemical makeup of C21H30O2. The difference is in the delta, which is a double bond. The location of the double bond in delta-8 is on the eighth carbon atom, whereas with delta-9 THC it’s on the ninth carbon atom. And that’s the difference structurally.

Where does Delta-8 THC come from?

Delta-8 THC is found in the cannabis flower just like Delta-9 THC is, just at much smaller amounts, similar to CBD (cannabidiol), CBC (cannabichromene), and CBN (cannabinol), among others. Since these cannabinoids don’t show up in great proportions, they are now isolated and extracted using modern distillation technology. The thing to remember about THC is that it actually starts as THCA which is a non-psychoactive molecule. There is little-to-no psychoactive compound in the actual cannabis plant, and this goes for what is considered high-THC like marijuana plants, and low-THC like hemp plants. It’s the process of aging over a prolonged period of time (and the UV exposure that goes along with it), or heating, which changes the molecular structure of THCA making it into delta-9 THC by dropping a CO2 molecule. This process is called decarboxylation because it’s shedding those molecules. From here, small amounts of the delta-9 THC molecules will oxidize to become delta-8 THC.
What research has been done on Delta-8?
To be clear, delta-8 is not a newly found molecule, and research into it didn’t just begin. As early as 1974 a study came out that had been done to see if delta-8 had an effect on the immune system. What they found is that not only did it not detract from an immune response, but that it has cancer fighting abilities as well. The study looked at delta-8, delta-9, CBN, and CBD. In this particular study it was not CBD that showed the greatest effect, but rather delta-8 and delta-9. The study participants were mice, and after 10 days of treatment with delta-9 showed slowed tumor growth depending on dose. After 20 days of treatment with delta-8, the mice showed a decrease in the size of the actual tumor. In this instance the delta-8 was combined with CBN.
Unfortunately, this information, much like most medical information regarding the cannabis plant, seemed to be buried for quite some time, with little follow-up done medically until the 90’s. It wasn’t until 1995 that another major study came out looking at the connection between delta-8 and the ability to fight cancer. According to the study, eight children with various forms of blood cancer were the participants, and in all cases, vomiting was prevented while no bad adverse side effects were noticed. All patients were also taking antineoplastic drugs like chemotherapy.
The main author of this study, Dr Raphael Mechoulam, and his fellow investigators, note that at the time the study was published, 480 people had successfully had their cancer treated with delta-8 THC, and that it nearly universally stopped vomiting.
According to a 1973 study, the psychoactive effects of delta-8 are about 2/3 the strength of the psychoactive effects of delta-9. Along with causing less psychoactive effects, it also is known to instigate less anxiety the way delta-9 is often known to do, and this is also a major benefit for patients or adult-users who want a lessened form of marijuana that won’t make them antsy. Whether it is the reduction in psychoactive properties that leads to this lesser amount of anxiety is hard to say, but the current literature points in that direction. Further study of the molecule is obviously necessary.

What about the legality of Delta 8 THC?

The 2018 Farm Bill specifically made all derivatives, isomers, and cannabinoids in hemp legal, provided the final product has less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. Therefore, Delta-8 THC that has been naturally extracted from Farm Bill compliant hemp which also contains less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC is federally legal. There has been questions brought about the Federal Analogue Act, which is part of the Controlled Substances Act, because Delta 8 THC is listed. This is where the 2018 Farm Bill is especially helpful, as it also includes an amendment to the Controlled Substances Act, explicitly removing all tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) found in hemp. This is extremely exciting because it means that delta-8 offers a way to treat many of the same ailments (and possibly others), as delta-9, but can be done so legally under United States federal law!