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You may have seen delta-8 cannabis products, often in the form of gummy candies or vape cartridges, and wondered what it was. Well, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would like you to know that delta-8 products are largely unregulated and can cause side effects including symptoms similar to those seen after too much dose. significant amount of cannabis. .
The FDA and CDC this week issued alerts warning consumers of the unknowns and potential dangers of consuming delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products. Usually, when it comes to THC in cannabis, people are referring to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Delta-8 is another compound naturally found in cannabis that is generally considered to induce a less potent high than delta-9 THC, but is not well understood.
Despite the proliferation of these products in recent years, there is very little research on the potential health effects of delta-8. And the products have been implicated in emergency room visits and calls to poison control centers. Between December 2020 and January 2021 alone, the FDA received reports of 22 people who had consumed delta-8 products, including 14 people who ended up in hospital or emergency room. Nationally, poison control centers have received more than 600 calls involving exposure to delta-8 since January this year. Of these calls, 39% concerned children under the age of 18.
If someone ingests a large amount of delta-8, they may experience lethargy, slurred speech, changes in heart rate, uncoordinated movements, sedation and even coma, according to the CDC.
Depending on specific state regulations, companies can legally sell delta-8 products in cannabis products or in the hemp market (similar to CBD products), the CDC explains. (These products may have particular appeal in states where it is not legal to consume cannabis.)
But the labeling of these products is not always clear – they may be labeled simply as “hemp” – so people may not realize that they are taking delta-8 or that this compound can in fact. cause notable psychoactive effects. The FDA has not evaluated or approved any product containing delta-8 THC, and because people often equate hemp with non-psychoactive, he fears that the products will be marketed in a way that puts people at risk. The agency is particularly concerned about the appeal of delta-8 products, including delicious gummy candies, to kids who don’t realize the products can cause a high.
The manufacturing process for delta-8 products may be different from that of other cannabis products and may include the use of certain chemicals that can be harmful. “The natural amount of delta-8 THC in hemp is very low and additional chemicals are needed to convert other cannabinoids in hemp, like CBD, to delta-8 THC,” says the FDA. “The final delta-8 THC product may have potentially harmful by-products (contaminants) due to the chemicals used in the process.”
Consumers should be aware that delta-8 is available and, despite marketing suggesting that it only has a mild effect, it may have real psychoactive effects, according to the CDC. It can also be found in products containing THC and CBD that are not properly labeled, so people can consume delta-8 (and therefore take a higher amount of psychoactive compounds than expected) without it. realize. Parents of young children should be especially careful about the potential effects of delta-8 products and be sure to keep them out of the reach of children, as they could be mistaken for candy.
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