Public health and safety concerns about delta-8 THC appear to be on the rise. A study published by JAMA this week showed that approximately 11% of all 12th graders in the US reported using products containing D-8 THC, with a higher prevalence in states that do not have existing D-8 THC regulations., and a related JAMA editorial, entitled "The Public Health Challenge of Δ8-THC and Derived Psychoactive Cannabis Products," noted that D-8 THC products pose a risk to public health and safety because they are largely unregulated, in contrast to state-regulated medical and adult use marijuana. As the authors of that editorial explain:
"The weak regulatory infrastructure for Δ8-THC
has led to manufacturing, advertising, and sales practices
that are inconsistent with public health and
safety.Δ8-THChas been marketed to consumers as a
low-risk medicinal cannabinoid product despite limited
evidence for effectiveness. It has also been sold directly
to minors through brick-and-mortar and online vendors,
some of which do not restrict sales based on age.
Inaccurate content labeling and potentially harmful
adulterants are serious problems in the unregulated
cannabinoid market. Products sold under the Δ8-THC
designation vary considerably with regard to dosing and
constituent ingredients.13 In an analysis of 20 commercial
products marketed as Δ8-THC, authors observed that
5% of the products did not contain Δ8-THC and, among
samples that did contain Δ8-THC, the quantities in
each product varied markedly from advertised values.13
There is also evidence that products sold as Δ8-THC
contain unlabeled constituents that may be dangerous for
consumers.14 It is not known whether the constituents were
added during manufacturing processes or whether they were
added intentionally or because of poor
quality control procedures."
The editorial's authors note the need for more rigorous manufacturing, advertising, and sales standards for D8-THC and other intoxicating cannabis-related products, and encourage federal legislators to use the next Farm Bill to address the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that has resulted in the proliferation of D8-THC and other intoxicating substances chemically synthesized from hemp:
"Given the potential harms posed by the widespread availability of Δ8-THC and other derived psychoactive cannabis products, more rigorous standards for manufacturing, advertising, and sales are warranted. The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act is set to expire in September 2024, and legislators may take the opportunity to strengthen the regulatory infrastructure for derived psychoactive cannabis products or exclude certain derivative products from the statutory definition of hemp."
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