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A significant proportion of U.S. adults have reported using delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their lifetime according to a recently published study, and use is more prolific in states prohibiting all marijuana use.
Delta-8 THC, a cannabinoid that is similar to Delta-9 intoxication, occurs naturally in hemp plants. Hemp plants naturally contain very little of it, but CBD (which hemp contains in abundance) can be used to create the substance.
Delta-8 has been available for a long time, often with no regulatory oversight. This is due to an omission in federal laws that mention only Delta-9. Due to this omission by the federal government, manufacturers argue that delta-8 can be made from legal hemp.
Delta-8-THC products are sold both in stores and on the internet, some of which mimic popular children’s snacks or candy. Food and Drug Administration received numerous reports linking the use of these products to adverse effects.
A study by researchers from Stanford University and University of California San Diego indicates that of 1,523 U.S. adults surveyed in October–November 2023, approximately 7.7% reported using delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol at any point in their lifetimes. The national figure is approximately 19,3 million people. It’s likely that the percentage is even higher now, given the fact that a few years have passed since this survey.
The prevalence of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol use was lower in states permitting recreational marijuana use (5.5%) and also lower in states permitting medical use only (8.5%) than in states prohibiting all marijuana use (10.9%). The prevalence of Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol use was lower in states where recreational marijuana is allowed (5.5%) and also in those that allow medical use only (8.5%) than in the states which prohibit all marijuana (10.9%).
These findings show that cannabis use does not stop just because a state has banned it. said Eric Leas is the senior author of this study. The study’s senior author, Eric Leas, Ph.D.
Leas said:
Providing access to legal cannabis products that meet safety standards, and disallowing poorly studied and regulated products such as delta-8 THC would be a way of prioritizing public health when it comes to our cannabis policy.
Study has been published The American Journal of Preventive Medicine.