The legalization of hemp and marijuana is on the verge of happening in Canada, but some industry groups are worried about the impact delta-8 THC will have on consumers. Delta-8 THC has a higher concentration than regular tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and might make people more susceptible to addiction.
The “delta 8 flower” is a strain of cannabis that has been around for decades. It is the best-selling strain in the world and remains popular because it provides an uplifting high with little to no side effects.
Some trade associations in the United States disagree on whether delta-8 THC should be sold in hemp products.
According to the Hemp Industries Association, the 2018 Farm Bill passed by former President Donald Trump authorized all hemp-derived cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC (HIA).
The trade organization advocated for a regulatory framework based on science that prioritizes consumer safety in a June 22 news release citing a legal opinion prepared by its lawyers.
In a press release, Jody McGinness, executive director of the Hemp Industries Association, stated, “Businesses, farmers, and consumers all deserve laws that encourage the discovery of the hemp plant’s full potential.” “This isn’t just about one small cannabinoid; the list [of cannabinoids] already numbers in the hundreds, and it’s growing.”
Delta-8 THC, as well as its intoxicating effects, has been a source of worry for several organizations with hemp business members.
“It was very clear when the Farm Bill was passed that Congress was making a distinction between intoxicating marijuana and nonintoxicating hemp, and they wanted to draw a line wherein intoxicating marijuana would be illegal at the federal level while nonintoxicating hemp would be legal,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the US Hemp Roundtable. Lawmakers “had no clue what delta-8 was at the time” and “drafted the law in such a manner that this loophole was created.”
According to Miller, the US Hemp Roundtable thinks delta-8 THC should be subject to a regulated framework to keep it out of the hands of children.
Some members of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, according to Miller, sell delta-8 THC. On the other hand, many publicly traded hemp businesses, many of whom are members of the US Hemp Roundtable, aren’t buying into the delta-8 THC craze. “I’m pretty sure that when [state] legislators reconvene next year, we’ll see a big emphasis on separating delta-8 and placing it in the adult-use cannabis box rather than the hemp box,” the attorney said.
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) board of directors adopted a guideline policy relating to the marketing of concentrated delta-8 THC on June 29.
The American Hemp Producers Association (AHPA) opposes the sale of hemp products that include synthetic cannabinoids, such as manufactured delta-8 THC. Produced cannabinoids are defined as “a cannabinoid synthesized in a laboratory or by industry utilizing guided synthetic or biosynthetic chemistry rather than conventional food preparation methods such as heating or extracting” in the AHPA’s May 2021 hemp lexicon.
In an interview, Jane Wilson, AHPA’s director of program development, stated, “We’re not against to the marketing of delta-8 THC goods, but if it’s a synthetized delta-8 THC and you’re identifying it as a hemp product, that’s what we’re opposing.”
The fact that “an intoxicating drug [is] being linked with the hemp industry” is one of AHPA members’ main worries about delta-8 THC, according to Wilson.
She acknowledged that it is assumed that all delta-8 THC products on the market have undergone synthesis. Delta-8 THC is only found in minute quantities in hemp due to plant breakdown, according to numerous hemp industry sources.
In an interview, Jeff Field, president and COO of Palmate, a privately owned producer of CBD isolate and other cannabinoid components, said, “The cannabis plant does not naturally generate any delta-8 THC.”
Field, whose firm does not produce delta-8 THC, said that no U.S. company “is extracting delta-8 from the plant and then separating and refining it.” “Everything is produced from either delta-9 THC or CBD.”
Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, knows why the delta-8 THC industry has exploded. Delta-8 THC, according to HIA, is most likely not synthetic. Even though delta-8 THC is classified as synthetic, it is not a restricted drug since “the 2018 Farm Bill explicitly defined ‘hemp’ to include its ‘derivatives,’ which by definition are ‘synthetic’ (particularly, ‘bio-synthetic’) compounds,” according to HIA’s lawyers, Rod Kight and Philip Snow.
“If you have 500 kg of CBD isolate and can’t sell it or the price is too low, convert it to delta-8, and it’ll fly off the shelves,” he said in an interview. “That’s very much what occurred here.”
Steenstra highlighted a number of concerns regarding delta-8 THC, including whether the goods are manufactured in a safe and high-quality manner.
In an interview, he added, “There are concerns about availability to large doses of a psychoactive chemical in gummies being sold at a petrol station to anybody who puts it up on the counter.” “I believe there are legitimate issues here, and the industry has raced to promote these products as broadly as possible.”
Delta-8 THC products that haven’t been responsibly promoted or thoroughly evaluated, according to Steenstra, risk undermining customer trust in hemp goods.
According to HIA, however, prohibiting delta-8 THC is not the solution to such issues. In a press statement, the trade group urged state legislators to avoid “ineffective bans” in favor of “collaborating with hemp industry professionals to develop hemp legislation that safely opens markets, promotes innovation, drives investment, and generates important jobs.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there THC in CBD Delta 8 gummies?
A: There is no THC in CBD Delta 8 gummies.
Is Delta 8 the same as THC?
A: Delta 8 is short for delta-8 torsion. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, which are the active compounds in marijuana that give you a high.
Is Delta 8 sprayed on hemp?
A: No, Delta 8 is a pesticide that does not contain any plant material.
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