Written by Michelle Hytner
You may have seen or heard of delta-8 THC. It’s usually mentioned in the same breath as CBD, another legal cannabinoid you can purchase in flower, tincture, and concentrate form at many shops right here in JC.
Like CBD, delta-8 is a compound derived from cannabis. Unlike CBD, delta-8 can get you high. No one can seem to agree on exactly how high, but the general consensus is that delta-8 produces a more powerful physical reaction than CBD, which is known for having a calming anti-inflammatory effect rather than a stimulating psychoactive one.
The sale of delta-8 products has proven to be problematic just months after New York and New Jersey legalized adult-use cannabis. Last month, the New York State health department proposed a set of revised regulations regarding the production, processing, and retail sale of what they refer to as “cannabinoid hemp.” These regulations are still up for public debate but their consequences will likely not be felt until this Fall.
Despite recent efforts to further regulate the sale of delta-8, it remains 100% legal due to a loophole in the 2018 federal farm bill. This bill designates that cannabis containing less than 0.3% of delta-9 THC (the illegal psychoactive component found in the marijuana plant) be considered hemp. Since delta-8 can be synthesized from hemp, it’s legal and has proliferated in recent months. As of now, many gas stations, bodegas, and head shops carry delta-8 products whether they be smokable, chewable, or as a tincture.
What does it feel like?
I was gifted a vaporizer cartridge of mango-flavored concentrate that had been sitting in the bottom of my weed drawer for about a month. I figured that trying it out at a girlfriend’s beer league softball double-header in Central Park would be a nice way to broaden my understanding of a new cannabinoid before sinking bonelessly into my tiny camp chair behind home plate.
My personal experience with delta-8 could be described as a common stoney blend of kooky and benign. After a few fruity hits off the vape, I heard myself asking too many questions to a fellow spectator whose job at Best Buy suddenly fascinated me.
The duration of my high was brief but more cerebral than I’d expected. My preference is for indica-heavy strains that make you feel like you’re sitting in a warm bathtub in a place where no clocks exist, but the delta-8 would’ve been a great complement to the afternoon had I actually been participating in a sport. It’s the cannabis equivalent of half-caff coffee—most of the flavor without the jittery (or in this case foggy-headed) after-effects.
In many ways, delta-8 is the product that most marijuana consumers would request if they knew what to ask for. Many users describe the high as stimulating, saying it provides a sense of well-being and alertness that’s typically illusive to full strength weed. Users have also reported an absence of paranoia which is one of the most common reasons why some people hesitate to dabble in the enjoyment of the diverse array ofcannabinoids currently on offer. This makes using delta-8 a far more approachable experience for those with a lower tolerance than taking a gamble on the potency of the buds in your friend’s sack.
With a myriad of benefits to its name and hardly any civilian naysayers, one suspects (and secretly knows) that the main obstacles to legalization lie in the boardroom, mired in arbitrary holding patterns for the continued financial gain of companies who benefit from its prohibition. This is all to say that the slow road to federal marijuana legalization has been a quagmire of pedantic regulatory bias, misinformation, and a lack of continuity between the chemical science of the product and how it is branded and sold to increasingly confused consumers. Delta-8 is in a position to bridge that gap as a safe, unobtrusive alternative to pure cannabis. Get it while you can!
Where to purchase Delta-8 products in Jersey City:
The Green Room 512 Jersey Ave, Jersey City
For further reading on Delta-8 THC:
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol
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