Delta-8 THC, a compound derived from marijuana, is harmful to health, warns health officials. The health officials noted the increase in hospitalizations tied to the substance.On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration alerted consumers of a recent rise in the availability of products containing Delta-8 THC and reports of adverse effects from the products.
Delta-8 THC is one of more than 100 compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. This is like the delta-9 THC, the psychoactive compound that’s mainly liable for the high people experience from marijuana. The compound derived from marijuana is estimated to be nearly 50% to 75% as psychoactive as delta-9 THC. It is naturally produced in only very low levels in the cannabis plant.
Some manufacturers use chemicals to convert other, non-psychoactive cannabinoids like cannabidiol into Delta-8 THC. This process may create byproducts, or contaminants, that are harmful to people’s health. The products containing are labeled as hemp—the term hemp to the non-psychoactive parts of the cannabis plant and their derivatives.
This labeling can mislead consumers that these products are without psychoactive effects. The FDA added that some products containing Delta-8 THC might be labeled with only the delta-9 concentration, rather than total THC content, which would underestimate the dose of THC in the product. The FDA notes that manufacturers of products often package and label the products in ways that appeal to children, including selling the products like gummies, chocolates, cookies, or candies.
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