State governments begin banning Delta-8 THC

Delta-8 THC is quickly becoming an ubiquitous compound. While this seems like good news, it is cause for concern. There appears to be a lot of misinformation about this compound, with much concern about its production, labeling, and marketing strategy.

Colorado recently banned Delta 8 THC products from being sold, and other states like Vermont have already taken it off their shelves.

Photo by Hector Roqueta Rivero / Getty Images

Delta-8 THC is made commercially by a variety of companies, each with its own technique for making d8 isolates. These techniques are unregulated and in most cases no third-party testing is done. For this reason, some companies introduce unhealthy compounds like heavy metals in the manufacture of these isolates.

This poses a great risk to consumers who constantly buy foods containing delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol. Not to forget that these items can be found almost everywhere. In addition, manufacturers and suppliers actively market these products.

The question remains: how safe are these products? The marketers don’t seem to know, and neither do the sellers. If they do this, they are not giving any proof.

Four weeks ago Josh Swider warned about the components of Delta-8-THC, its production techniques and other unknowns.

Who is Josh Swider?

He is a chemist whose aim it is to acquire a considerable knowledge of how science works. He is very knowledgeable about the medicinal properties and benefits of cannabis and is always looking for deeper knowledge on the subject.

For this reason, he is inclined to know why there is limited amount of research and how public awareness there is of Delta-8 infused products.

RELATED: Demand for Delta-8 is booming

It’s worth noting that he’s one of the co-founders of Chemical Analysis Labs, also known as Infinite CAL. CAL was founded in 2016 by Mr. Swider and his colleague David Merlius.

The company’s mission statement is: “To provide the cannabis industry with accurate and timely analytical services of the highest quality while meeting or exceeding their customers’ expectations.”

Why a warning flag is needed in the race for Delta-8 THC

A few weeks ago, during an interview stressing that he was not a lawyer, Swider stated that the World Health Organizatin (WHO) guidelines for making Delta-8 were not clear enough. The synthesis of one cannabinoid into another is classified as illegal by the WHO.

On the one hand we have “synthesis” and on the other hand “transformation”.

Photo by Ndispensable via Unsplash

According to the Oxford dictionary, conversion is the process of changing the form, character, or function of a compound. Whereas synthesis is the process of making a new chemical compound from simpler materials through chemical reactions.

However, this is not so clear.

Only an accomplished chemist can understand the WHO paper on the synthesis of cannabinoids. An uninformed person would be confused with the terminology used in it.

RELATED: Delta-8 Vs Delta-9: What’s the Difference?

Mr. Swider also clarified that there are several ways to convert CBD to Delta-8, but none of these methods can give a 100% yield of pure Delta-8 isolates. The issue always comes out with an unknown variety of links. The percentage of these unknown compounds varies depending on the method used.

The WHO can instead point out efficient and cleaner ways to isolate Delta-8 from these cannabinoids, as it is usually up to companies to identify the unknown compounds and determine how to separate them from the d-8 isolates they need .

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

The problem now is that instead of looking for ways to separate these strangers, multiple companies are instead voiding their presence. Hence, the ubiquitous consumables are filled with unhealthy compounds that can be found all over the market.

An example is when CBD is converted and the result is 70% delta-8 THC and 30% unknown. The chemist is supposed to convert these unknowns into a purer product as the 30% unknowns can make or damage a product.

Looking at it from the consumer’s point of view

Swider pointed out that he had no discrimination regarding the Delta-8 connection as some people were preparing it efficiently. However, there are questions about production techniques that need clarification.

Commercial manufacturers of these isolates are only trying to quantify them in a timely and sufficient manner to crowd out the health and safety of the consumer.

RELATED: Delta-8 THC: Benefits, How It Works, and the Science of Science

All consumables must be tested efficiently and their quality adjusted to the consumption.

Nowadays, these companies claim they are running tests. However, there are many doubts about the authenticity of these test sites. Not to mention the authenticity of the results. These companies seem to be maintaining profit versus ethics when it should be the other way around. It is quite absurd that these test results should not be questioned.

Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

During the interview, Swider reiterated that his biggest problem regarding the Delta-8 issue was primarily public safety.

Unlike delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC is naturally rare. It can be found in some plants in very limited quantities. The procedure for extracting this compound is also complex. Suffice it to say that these chemical processes are necessary to produce d8 isolates.

Safety of D-8 products

There is currently no way to generally classify these products as safe.

Some tips to follow before and after purchasing these products are:

• Talk to a doctor to make sure it is safe
• Take small doses of a product right away
• Call the manufacturer’s company for inquiries.
• Check out other reviews on the internet
• Fish and laboratory tests of the product before use

Licensed Delta-8 products have labels such as “Do not operate heavy machinery” if you are unsure of the effects of the product.

All of these and other safety measures should be followed to ensure that the medicinal product is fit for consumption and to ensure that the consumer is safe after use.

Bottom line

It has been shown that the forced reactions involved in converting CBD to Delta-8 isolates yield unknown compounds. To determine the purity of these products, tests are required to first determine the exact composition of these unknowns.

While further research is carried out, the reactions leading to unknowns could be discovered and corrected. In addition to professional laboratories, several do-it-yourselfers are working on these conversions.

Before purchasing your Delta 8 THC products, do some informative research about the brand and product.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.