By Noah Chen

If you’ve visited a CBD or smoke shop recently, you may have noticed a new cannabinoid on store shelves: Delta-8. From Delta-8 Joints, to While it may seem new, Delta-8 was actually in hemp all along. What’s changed is our ability to isolate and synthesize it. Now that we can do it, you’re more likely to see this cannabinoid sold alongside CBD in many shops.

So, let’s meet this newcomer to the hemp market.

Delta-8 is a hemp-based cannabinoid

We’ve mentioned before how hemp contains cannabinoids like CBD and THC. While CBD isn’t psychoactive, meaning it can’t get you high, THC is. This is why hemp can only contain at max 0.3 percent THC for legal sales. However, there are different types of tetrahydrocannabinol, and not all of them are the same.

Hemp plants are only monitored for Delta-9 THC, not Delta-8, which makes Delta-8 perfectly legal to have, sell, and consume. Think of it like this, when someone is talking about THC, they’re talking about the compound found in marijuana, the one that gets you high. Other types of tetrahydrocannabinol are typically referred to by their Delta name and number. Even though THC and Delta-8 are only one number apart, these two forms of THC don’t do exactly the same thing.

Smoking Delta-8 is not the same as smoking weed

Delta-8 and Delta-9 joints impact the body in different ways because they work on distinct cannabinoid receptors. Our bodies are full of cannabinoid receptors, and specific cannabinoids interact with them differently. This is why not every hemp compound produces a psychotropic effect.

While Delta-9 THC primarily works on CB1 receptors, Delta-8 works on CB2. You’ll find these receptors in different parts of the body, and their locations give us clues to their role. CB1 receptors are mostly found in the brain while CB2 receptors also appear in the gastrointestinal and immune systems.

This difference may be the reason why THC makes you feel high (it is all in your head after all,) while Delta-8 joints do not.

How will Delta-8 make me feel?

Unlike CBD, Delta-8 may lean closer to what THC users experience when ingesting the compound. You won’t get high like if you use marijuana, but you may feel a less intense, similar sensation. This is in large part due to the fact that the CB2 receptors acted upon by Delta-8 THC are responsible for immune system modulation instead of being up in the brain.

Like the THC in marijuana, Delta-8 may offer consumers relaxing and pain-relieving effects. Some users of Delta-8 even report having a mellow high after using the cannabinoid. 

Ready to consider giving Delta-8 a try?

Many CBD smokers have started combining Delta-8 with existing CBD products to get a more potent effect from hemp, while still using only legal products. If you’re curious, it might be time to give this new-to-the-scene cannabinoid a try, but proceed with caution if you’re new to hemp-derived products.
If Delta-8 sounds interesting, but you’d rather start slow, check out the online store at Arbor Vita8. We offer CBD-infused tinctures, topicals, and more of only the highest quality. For anyone interested in manufacturing products with Delta-8 as an ingredient, our processing side offers a superior extraction for use. Contact us today for more details or take a swing through our online store.