Delta-8 THC is the latest hit in the hemp industry. What is this unique organic compound actually found in hemp plants, and how does it differ from cannabidiol (CBD)? You can learn more about it in this article.
Properties of Delta-8 THC
Delta-8 THC is a compound found in cannabis plants with psychoactive properties, just like the best-known, also psychoactive Delta-9 THC. However, Delta-8 THC is not as common a hemp compound as CBD and the resulting health-promoting CBD oil.
Delta-8 THC has weaker psychoactive effects than Delta-9 THC. The former is found in very low concentrations in hemp plants, which increases its value due to the complicated process of extraction, isolation, conversion and refining. Obtaining high concentrations of Delta-8 THC is a complex process.
Delta-8 is a cannabinoid that has very complex properties. It is an isomer of CBD and a derivative of hemp and CBD, and is perfectly legal if the final product contains less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC.
Psychoactive effects
CBD is the organic compound found in hemp, which has the most health-promoting spectrum of effects, and is used to produce a very popular supplement - CBD oil. Delta-8 THC, on the other hand, is a completely different hemp compound, but related to Delta-9 THC.
Both Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC contain double bonds, but Delta-8 contains a bond on the 8th carbon chain, while Delta-9 contains a bond on the 9th carbon chain, hence their names. Regardless, Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors to produce psychoactive effects.
However, Delta-8 THC is half as weak as Delta-9 , providing lower potency, which some consider more tolerable and suitable for recreational use.
What's the difference between Delta-8 THC and CBD
When it comes to comparing Delta-8 THC and CBD, the differences between the two are a bit more pronounced than when comparing the related compounds Delta-8 and Delta-9. This is all because CBD is very different in chemical composition from Delta-8 THC.
Delta-8, as we mentioned, is a psychoactive cannabinoid, while CBD has no such properties. In addition, much more scientific research has been done on CBD than on Delta-8, and as we know CBD has a wide spectrum of health-promoting uses. Here are the key similarities and differences:
Delta-8 THC:
- psychoactive
- detectable even in small amounts by drug tests
- medicinal and recreational use
- binds to CB1 and CB2 receptors
CBD:
- not psychoactive
- undetectable by drug tests
- therapeutic and supportive action for many diseases
- binds to CB1 receptors
