If you follow the cannabis culture, you are fully aware that federal and state laws regulating industrial hemp and marijuana are not uniform. In fact, they are rife with loopholes that growers and processors love to exploit. Need proof? Then look no further than Delta 8 and Delta 10 THC. They are all the rage right now in America’s cannabis culture.
Operators in the cannabis space love loopholes. Legal loopholes give them opportunities to manufacture and sell products that would otherwise be illegal. And unfortunately, inconsistencies in federal and state law allow loopholes to flourish. That is why consumers can buy Delta 8 and Delta 10 CBD products, at least in most states.
So any Cannabinoids
Delta 8 and 10 loopholes are the direct result of a legal framework that does not account for the fact that cannabis plants contain more than a hundred cannabinoids. That is a lot of cannabinoids. Delta 9 THC, the cannabinoid in marijuana that makes a person high, doesn’t tell the whole story. And until federal and state laws catch up with the cannabis culture, all the other cannabinoids will remain in play.
For the record, Delta 8 and Delta 10 are considered isomers of Delta 9 THC. What does that mean? It means that all three cannabinoids have the exact same molecular profile. They are different only inasmuch as their molecules are arranged in different ways.
Molecular arrangement partially determines a cannabinoid’s effects. As you already know, Delta 9 THC produces the high that marijuana is known for. Both Delta 8 and Delta 10 can also make you high, but neither is as potent as Delta 9. Their highs are not as strong or overpowering. Also note that Delta 8 is more sedating while Delta 10 seems to be more stimulating.
States Are Starting to Pay Attention
As Delta 8 and Delta 10 have become more popular, states have been making an effort to pay attention. A small number are moving to ban the two isomers altogether. Here’s the problem: Delta 8 and Delta 10 can both be extracted from legally grown industrial hemp. Processors do not need marijuana to do it.
This creates a huge problem from both legal and practical standpoints. Take Utah, for example. Salt Lake City Beehive Farmacy explains that Utah is a medical-only state. Products containing more than 0.3% Delta 9 THC can only be used with a valid medical cannabis card. They can only be bought from a licensed pharmacy.
CBD products are derived from industrial hemp which, by law, must not exceed the 0.3% THC threshold. But because processors are not required to test for or report Delta 8 and Delta 10, they can add both cannabinoids to CBD products without fear of legal repercussion. Consumers can legally buy these products to get high.
More Cannabinoids to Come
Proponents of fully decriminalized cannabis have long sought ways to get around federal and state regulations. Most recently, they have looked at harnessing the effects of other cannabinoids. First it was Delta 8, now it is Delta 10. Rest assured that the pursuit of new highs will not stop here. Remember, there are more than a hundred cannabinoids to choose from.
Meanwhile, the states have to figure out what they want to do about the many THC isomers found in cannabis plants. Do they continue turning a blind eye, or do they start regulating each and every cannabinoid that processors decide to add to their products? That remains to be seen. In the meantime, retailers are legally selling Delta 8 and Delta 10 products thanks to an easily exploited loophole.
