So I've been using this stuff for the past week or two and I want to talk about it.
In a miraculous move for the US, the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp. Oddly enough the FDA has not regulated it at all in the two years since, other than imposing a 0.3% Delta-9-THC limit on hemp flower. This makes it hard to get stoned legally if you live in an illegal state. You technically COULD create/buy a cbd concentrate to get enough Delta-9-THC to get stoned, but it would be ridiculously expensive compared to just buying on the black market.
This is where Delta-8-THC comes in.
Delta-8-THC is legal in the majority of the US thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. It legalized hemp, but made an exception for Delta-9-THC, which is still federally regulated. Thankfully legislators are not pharmacologists, and they neglected to realize there was a psychoactive compound in cannabis that was not Delta-9-THC, but could still get you stoned. NORMALLY, it is available in basically inert amounts. I remember reading like 0.07% somewhere but don't quote me on that. Basically nothing in natural weed.
So what these labs do is convert CBD and CBN into Delta-8-THC, which is actually what Delta-9-THC degrades into when exposed to high heat. Ever cook edibles too long and they make you sleepy? This is part of the reason why.
Delta-8-THC is stable however. In pure form it is a thick, clear goo. As of this year there have been a number of vendors online selling it.
What is the difference between Delta-9-THC and Delta-8-THC, you ask? After all, it's only one hydrogen molecule of a difference. How special can it be?
WELL. Essentially it is the exact same. IMO: You get just as high but without the anxiety and confusion. There is a slight loss of euphoria. Otherwise it is exactly the same and it's actually pretty fucking incredible. I live in a legal state and have easy access to black market weed anyway, but I think I actually prefer this because of how 'smooth' the high is. There is no edge. No paranoia. This shit gets you stoned. I'm kind of blown away and I know this will absolutely not last.
As of far the only states it is not legal are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska. Possibly Colorado and California as well. The law in legal states is confusing as some states have a 'total THC' law which designates 'tetrahydrocannabinoids' (THC) as the regulated substance, and not specifically Delta-9-THC.
If you're curious about the metabolism of this, it's pretty unknown. Delta-8-THC is SLIGHTLY less potent. Inhaling, it still partially metabolizes into 11-hydroxy-THC just like Delta-9 does, so taking enough WILL give you some anxiety but its nothing compared to regular ol' weed. Orally it completely or at least mostly converts to 11-hydroxy, so you want to be careful if you're trying to avoid anxious couchlock.
I've gone through, idk... 4 or 5 grams of the stuff? It's pretty good. I enjoy it orally (remember to make sex jokes here) but the only downside is it takes about 3h to kick in. If you vape it it's about the same potency as Delta-9-THC concentrates, IMO.
Anyway I just thought this stuff was cool. Depending on how much you want to buy/what you want to buy, it will run you anywhere from 10-60 a gram. Prices are starting to go down though as it becomes more popular. It's starting to appear in smokeshops now too. It's only a matter of time before the FDA catches on and makes it illegal. They technically have full reign over hemp regulation but for some reason have no done much of anything. It's weird. You can buy edibles and vaping products and all sorts of shit that you'd normally think the FDA would want to keep an eye on. They tried to make CBD illegal in 2019 but they got hard backlash for it and decided to back out, just like they did with Crouton in 2016 or '17 i think it was.
Also one weird thing about it is that it gives you BAD munchies. Not even like you're hungry or craving, but like you've been starving since yesterday. I always get ravenous about 20-30min into vaping.
