Journal:Delta-8-THC: Delta-9-THC’s nicer younger sibling?
| Full article title | Delta-8-THC: Delta-9-THC’s nicer younger sibling? |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Cannabis Research |
| Author(s) | Kruger, Jessica S.; Kruger, Daniel J. |
| Author affiliation(s) | State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Michigan |
| Primary contact | Email: jskruger at buffalo dot edu |
| Year published | 2022 |
| Volume and issue | 24 |
| Article # | 4 |
| DOI | 10.1186/s42238-021-00115-8 |
| ISSN | 2522-5782 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00115-8 |
| Download | https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s42238-021-00115-8.pdf (PDF) |
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This article should be considered a work in progress and incomplete. Consider this article incomplete until this notice is removed. |
Abstract
Background: Products containing delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) became widely available in most of the United States following the 2018 Farm Bill, and by late 2020, those products were core products of hemp processing companies, especially where delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) use remained illegal or required medical authorization. Research on experiences with Δ8-THC is scarce, and some state governments have prohibited it because of this lack of knowledge.
Objective: We conducted an exploratory study addressing a broad range of issues regarding Δ8-THC to inform policy discussions and provide directions for future systematic research.
Methods: We developed an online survey for Δ8-THC consumers, including qualities of Δ8-THC experiences, comparisons with Δ9-THC, and open-ended feedback. The survey included quantitative and qualitative aspects to provide a rich description and content for future hypothesis testing. Invitations to participate were distributed by a manufacturer of Δ8-THC products via social media accounts, email contact list, and the Delta8 Reddit.com discussion board. Participants (n = 521) mostly identified as White/European American (90%) and male (57%). Pairwise t tests compared Δ8-THC effect rating items; one-sample t tests examined responses to Δ9-THC comparison items.
Results: Most Δ8-THC users experienced a lot or a great deal of relaxation (71%); euphoria (68%) and pain relief (55%); and a moderate amount or a lot of cognitive distortions such as difficulty concentrating (81%), difficulties with short-term memory (80%), and alerted sense of time (74%). Many did not experience anxiety (74%) or paranoia (83%). Participants generally compared Δ8-THC favorably with both Δ9-THC and pharmaceutical drugs, with most participants reporting substitution for Δ8-THC (57%) and pharmaceutical drugs (59%). Participant concerns regarding Δ8-THC were generally focused on continued legal access.
Conclusions: Δ8-THC may provide much of the experiential benefits of Δ9-THC with fewer adverse effects. Future systematic research is needed to confirm participant reports, although these studies are hindered by the legal statuses of both Δ8-THC and Δ9-THC. Cross-sector collaborations among academics, government officials, and representatives from the cannabis industry may accelerate the generation of knowledge regarding Δ8-THC and other cannabinoids. A strength of this study is that it is the first large survey of Δ8-THC users; limitations include self-reported data from a self-selected convenience sample.
Keywords: medical cannabis, cannabis, cannabinoid, delta-8-THC, subjective effects
Background
Among hundreds of cannabinoids, delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC or delta-8-THC) has rapidly risen in popularity among consumers of cannabis products. Δ8-THC is an isomer or a chemical analog of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC or delta-9-THC), the molecule that produces the experience of being high when ingesting cannabis. (Qamar et al. 2021) Δ8-THC differs in the molecular structure from Δ9-THC in the location of a double bond between carbon atoms 8 and 9 rather than carbon atoms 9 and 10. (Razdan 1984) Due to its altered structure, Δ8-THC has a lower affinity for the CB1 receptor and therefore has a lower psychotropic potency than Δ9-THC. (Hollister and Gillespie 1973; Razdan 1984) Δ8-THC is found naturally in the Cannabis plant, though at substantially lower concentrations than Δ9-THC.(Hively et al. 1966) It can also be synthesized from other cannabinoids. (Hanuš and Krejčí 1975)
The 2018 Farm Bill did not specifically address Δ8-THC, but it effectively legalized the sale of hemp-derived Δ8-THC products with no oversight. Its popularity grew dramatically in late 2020, gaining the attention of cannabis consumers and processors throughout the United States. As of early 2021, Δ8-THC is considered one of the fastest-growing segments of hemp derived products, with most states having access. (Richtel 2021) However, little is known about experiences with Δ8-THC or its effects in medical or recreational users. (Hollister and Gillespie 1973; Razdan 1984)
In 1973, Δ8-THC and Δ9-THC were administrated to six research participants. Despite the small sample size, researchers concluded that Δ8-THC was about two-thirds as potent as Δ9-THC and was qualitatively similar in experiential effects. (Hollister and Gillespie 1973; Razdan 1984) In 1995, researchers gave Δ8-THC to eight pediatric cancer patients two hours before each chemotherapy session. Over the course of eight months, none of these patients vomited following their cancer treatment. The researchers concluded that Δ8-THC was a more stable compound than the more well-studied Δ9-THC (Abrahamov et al. 1995), consistent with other findings (Zias et al. 1993), suggesting that Δ8-THC could be a better candidate than Δ9-THC for new therapeutics.
In recent months, 14 U.S. states have blocked the sale of Δ8-THC due to the lack of research into the compound’s psychoactive effects. (Sullivan 2021) However, all policies and practices, including those related to substance use and public health, should be informed by empirical evidence. The current study seeks to better understand the experiences of people who use Δ8-TH to inform policy discussions and provide directions for future systematic research. Because this is the first large survey of Δ8-THC consumers, we take an exploratory approach to describe experiences with Δ8-THC. We combine quantitative rating items with open-ended qualitative items, enabling participants to provide feedback which is rich in content.
Methods
Procedures
We developed an anonymous Qualtrics online survey to assess experiences with Δ8-THC. Bison Botanics, a manufacturer of Δ8-THC and cannabidiol (CBD) products in New York State, distributed invitations to participate in the study via their social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram), via their email contact list, and via the Delta8 online discussion board (Subreddit) on Reddit.com. The invitation read: “Are you a Delta-8-THC consumer? We’ve partnered with researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Michigan to learn more about experiences with delta-8-THC and its impact on public health and safety.” Screening questions verified that participants were 18 years of age or older, were currently in the USA, and used or consumed products containing Δ8-THC. Surveys were completed between June 12 and August 2, 2021. Δ8-THC products were sold legally in New York State until July 19, 2021.
Participants
Completed surveys (n = 521) were included for analyses, with a completion rate of 74%. Participants were men (57%), women (41%), and individuals who reported another gender identity (2%). The mean age was 34 years old (SD = 11; range: 18–76). Participants had completed 15 years of education on average (SD = 2; range: 8–20) and 17% were currently students. Participants identified (inclusively) as White/European American (90%), Hispanic/Latino (5%), Black/African American (3%), American Indian or Alaska Native (3%), Asian (3%), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (1%), and Other (3%). Most (59%) participants provided zip codes, which ranged across 38 U.S. states. The largest portion was from New York State (29%), with all other states representing below 10% of the total. Nearly all these participants (90%) were in states where Δ9-THC cannabis products were not yet commercially available for adult (i.e., “recreational”) use.
Measures
Participants reported on the content of their experiences with Δ8-THC by rating its effects. The question stem read: “Please indicate how much you experience the following when you use delta-8-THC.” Specific experiential aspects included altered sense of time; anxiety (unpleasant feelings, nervousness, worry); difficulty concentrating; difficulties with short-term memory; euphoria (pleasure, excitement, happiness); pain relief; paranoia (thinking that other people are out to get you, etc.); and relaxation. Response options were "not at all," "a little," "a moderate amount," "a lot," and "a great deal."
Two items assessed participants’ comparisons of experiences with Δ8-THC and Δ9-THC. The first question read: “How does Delta-8-THC compare to Delta-9-THC in the intensity or strength of effects?” [emphasis in original]. Response options were: "Delta-8-THC is much more intense," "Delta-8-THC is somewhat more intense, about the same," "Delta-9-THC is somewhat more intense," and "Delta-9-THC is much more intense, do not know." The second question read: “How does Delta-8-THC compare to Delta-9-THC in the duration or length of effects?” [emphasis in original]. Response options were: "Delta-8-THC lasts a lot longer," "Delta-8-THC lasts a little longer, about the same," "Delta-9-THC lasts a little longer," and "Delta-9-THC lasts a lot longer, do not know."
Participants were also asked the open-ended question, “Do you have any comments about how Delta-8-THC compares to Delta-9-THC?” after the rating items. This item was followed by a brief demographic section assessing age, gender identity, education, ethnicity, and zip code. At the end of the survey, participants were asked, “Do you have any comments about these topics or this survey?” There were no restrictions on participants’ responses.
Analysis
Pairwise t tests compared ratings on Δ8-THC effect items; descriptive statistics, 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes were calculated (see Table 1 and Fig. 1). Responses to items comparing Δ8-THC to Δ9-THC intensity and duration were examined by one-sample t tests with a comparison value of 3 (“About the same”), effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were calculated (see Fig. 2). Demographic comparisons were made for participants’ gender with between-subjects t tests, participants’ age with Pearson correlations, and participants’ educational levels with partial correlations controlling for age. Responses to open-ended questions were coded as a set to avoid the duplication of codes for the same participant (see Table 2). The coders had been trained in qualitative methods, and an inductive coding method was used to create a codebook. After the first coder assigned the codes, a line-by-line coding was used to then categorize codes. To establish inter-rater reliability, two coders independently read participant responses and identified overall themes. Once general themes were established, the responses were coded for theme categories and subcategories. Coding discrepancies were resolved and coding omissions were eliminated by adding codes, although no previously identified themes were deleted. Instances of themes and subthemes were calculated across participants. Individual participants could express more than one subtheme within a thematic category.
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References
Notes
This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation. Some grammar and punctuation was cleaned up to improve readability. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.
