Would you eat a Delta 8 hot dog? (March D-8 Newsletter)
Hello and welcome to Leafly’s Delta 8 THC news roundup.
Users consider Delta-8 “marijuana light” – it differs only slightly from Delta-9 THC, which remains banned in most states. But due to a loophole in hemp legalization, hemp-derived CBD chemically converted to Delta-8 is legal in many marijuana-banned states. This has sparked a multi-billion dollar hemp oil frenzy as the industry scrambles to meet Americans’ high demand for the high.
Is delta-8-THC still legal in your state or even county? What does science say about safety? What are consumers saying? Delta 8 news appears daily as regulators try to keep up with new products being legalized alongside hemp. What about Delta-10, THC-O, or other novel cannabinoids synthesized from the CBD in hemp?
The answer? Anything but simple or static. Here’s your March Leafly Delta 8 update.
D-8 culture news
Activ8, a D-8 beverage company, will sponsor the rapper reef raffs national spring tour. [Icon vs. Icon]
Missouri has a hot dog place TNT Weiners, makes D-8 infused sauce and drinks. “With Delta 8 supplements and infusions, we’re trying to make comfort food more convenient by helping people manage depression, anxiety and stress…purchased to be put directly into sauces or dishes by the consumer.” [Ladue News]
Chicago has one D-8 infused cafe called Wake and Bakery, which is “Tik-Tok famous.” [Daily Herald]
Legalization Updates – Is Delta-8 Still Legal?
federal news
A Maine The congressman introduced hemp legalization legislation to fill the D-8 loophole that legalized getting high in prohibition states while easing testing and hiring rules for hemp farmers. It would limit all forms of THC to under 0.3% w/w. [Dallas Observer; Marijuana Moment]
“In my view, Congress realizes that the existing law is ambiguous and is therefore clarifying the text to return to the original intent, which was not to legalize psychoactive substances,” writes one legal expert.
State News
A Alabama The legislature wants to set an age limit of 18 for D-8. “It’s everywhere,” lawmakers said of the products in their state. The Alabama Poison Information Center has recorded 116 exposures to Delta-8 since March 2021. [AL.com]
Arizona Lawmakers introduced legislation backed by the legal cannabis industry to prevent unregulated D-8 from flooding the state, calling it “a fast-spreading crisis.” The ADA told reporters, “Right now we have operators who don’t understand what they can and can’t buy, but we’ve always maintained that converting hemp isn’t legal.” [Tuscon Weekly]
Two Arkansas Headshop owners caught a case for D-8 actually testing 6% delta-9 THC – which is illegal in this state. [Camden Ark News]
Looks like Indiana will study, not ban D-8 this year. [The Statehouse File]
The state Kansas’ Johnson County has a deadline of March 20 to remove D-8 from store shelves. “Delta-8 THC is a hallucinogenic drug and as such cannot be sold to the public,” the Johnson County Attorney said. [Kansas City]
Kentucky Lawmakers are poised to toss the book on D-8 and ban everything including Delta-10, THCO, and THCP. The Kentucky Hemp Association opposes the bill. [Benzinga]
Maryland Legislatures moved to regulate the state’s D-8 supply under its medical system. [WMDT]
The state of medicinal cannabis Oklahoma also rides a D-8 wave. A new bill would require a medical card to purchase. [OKCFOX]
Related
I tried Delta-8 THC: This is what it feels like
D-8 licensing may go into ban state Tennessee. [News Channel 5]
the Utah Cannabinoid Product Board voted unanimously not to support synthetic cannabinoids due to the lack of medical studies showing their effects. [KUER]
Virginia Lawmakers are moving to ban D-8 until it can be regulated in its new recreational market. [Virginia Mercury]
Washington Legislators have two new bills to ban or strictly regulate Delta-8. “These are being sold right now with no regulation and no oversight,” said Democratic Sen. Karen Keizer. “It’s a public health hazard and a threat and it needs to be removed.” [The Ganjapreneur] [Hemp Industry Daily]
Other D-8 news on the web
The D-8 boom has caused some hemp cannabinoid vendors to sell themselves Delta-9-THC extracted or synthesized from hemp as a legal product. A raid is imminent. [MJBizDaily]
the US Hemp Roundtable condemned the sale of synthetic D-9 as hemp. “Not only is this type of marketing a threat to public health and safety — particularly for children who may purchase these products at retail — it undermines the integrity of the legal hemp industry and ultimately threatens the livelihoods of the farmers themselves,” the Ethics Council said to US hemp roundtable Russell Coleman. [Hemp Gazette]
Canadian e-commerce provider Shopify gave the boot to D-8 sellers. [Hemp Gazette]
Industry report: The time is ripe voluntary D-8 exam and childproof packaging. “Continuing down this path could harm consumers, harm businesses and permanently damage the reputation of our industry.” [Green Entrepreneur]
Journalists found that a Virginia congressman’s wife sold dodgy D-8s in a state with only four medical dispensaries and no adult sales yet. All but one of the 66 products tested were incorrectly labeled. [Marijuana Moment]
There definitely is Delta-9 in untested Delta-8 vapescloses a lab in Tennessee. [WLOS] This is important to know because Taking D-8 may violate the terms of probation. You’ll test positive for pot and go straight back to jail. [WAAYTV]
One more time for the people in the background – One more time, Yes, Delta-8 will show up on a drug test. [Art Voice]
US News and World Report did great D-8 Frequently Asked Questions. “If you are consuming Delta 8 products, you must assume that you are consuming a Delta 9 (marijuana) product.” [USNews]
Related
How to Find and Buy Quality Delta-8 THC Products
Delta 8 is not safe for pets. “If you are unsure if your pet is being exposed to delta-8-THC, you need to look out for symptoms such as inactivity, lack of coordination, dilated pupils, hypersalivation, sensitivity to movement, sound and touch, and incontinence.” [Plants Before Pills]
Speaking of accidents, adolescent exposure to D-8 made a round of bad headlines in Texas and a round of bad headlines in Tennessee. [Star-Telegram]
And the Missouri Poison Control Center alarms at D-8 exposures. “Delta 8 products can look like children’s muesli or gummy bears. The packaging can be flimsy and people can even sell open items, cookies, in stores.” [KSDK]
PsychCentral tried some D-8, researched it and had concerns. “If you’re interested in using Delta-8 to treat a mental illness, you might want to do a little more research and talk to your doctor first.” [PsychCentral]
MJBizDaily spends its February issue on D-8, with a infographic of how it’s made – lots of chemicals. [MJBizDaily]
Leafly’s Max Savage Levenson did one timeline the history of D-8 in science and culture. [Leafly]
D-8 News Roundup Number of the Month: $10 Billion
The size of the synthetic cannabinoids market by 2025 according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International). [Tuscon Weekly]
News and reviews on THC-O, THC-P, Delta-10
What is HHC? Cannabis Grower Explained; Hydrogenation of THC with Metal Catalysts “Working with these reactions is serious chemistry.” [Hemp Grower]
This was announced by a laboratory in Florida HHC testing. “HHC is an unregulated chemical class known as hexahydrocannabinol, produced by the hydrogenation of delta-8 using metal catalysts.” [PR Newswire]
Delta-8 press release and sponsored content
That’s it for Leafly’s monthly roundup of novel cannabinoid news. It’s the wild west out there. We’re keeping an eye on the topic and see you next month for more.
David Downs
David Downs leads news and lifestyle coverage as California Bureau Chief for Leafly.com. He has written for WIRED, Rolling Stone and Billboard and is a former cannabis editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of several cannabis books including Ed Rosenthal’s and David Downs’ Marijuana Harvest. He is the co-host of the Hash podcast. TW: @davidrdowns | IG @daviddowns
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