What is Delta-8 ?

What is Delta-8-THC?

According to the National Cancer Institute, Delta-8-THC is:

“An analogue of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with antiemetic, anxiolytic, appetite-stimulating, analgesic, and neuroprotective properties. [Delta-8-THC] binds to the cannabinoid G-protein coupled receptor CB1, located in the central nervous system… This agent exhibits a lower psychotropic potency than [delta-9-THC], the primary form of THC found in cannabis.”

Delta-8-THC, like Delta-9-THC, is one of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Since only small amounts of it are found in dry cannabis flowers (less than one percent), it is known as a “secondary” cannabinoid, while Delta-9-THC is commonly referred to as the “primary” cannabinoid in cannabis. Although Delta-8-THC does not naturally occur in high amounts, concentrates high in Delta-8-THC can be extracted from the cannabis plant through selective breeding, molecular isolation, and conversion.

Delta-8-THC vs. Delta-9-THC

Delta-8-THC and Delta-9-THC are both cannabinoids with a few differences in their chemical composition. Both cannabinoids contain double bonds. In fact, the “delta” in their names refers to these double bonds. The difference between the two is where these double bonds are located. The numbers in their names — 8 and 9 — refers to where the double bond is positioned. In Delta-8-THC, the double bond is on the 8th carbon in the chain, while in Delta-9-THC, the double bond is on the ninth carbon. The shift in the double bond means that Delta-8-THC and Delta-9-THC react differently with the endocannabinoid system.