You’ve no doubt heard about THC flower — after all, it’s the cannabinoid responsible for making you feel high, right? However, the real answer might surprise you.
There are several different types of THC present in cannabis, and not all of them affect you in the same way. Besides, some forms of THC are more legal than others.
Enter Delta-8 THC, a potent cannabinoid emerging from obscurity and easily extracted from CBD flowers. This safe and effective form of THC is derived from hemp flowers, making it fully Farm Bill compliant.
Ready to learn more about Delta-8 THC flower? Below, we explain everything to know about D8 flower, including its legality, effects, and differences between Delta-9 THC and Delta-8 THC.
What is Delta-8 THC flower?
Delta-8 THC is a cannabinoid not many people know, but that’s rapidly changing. Unlike its psychoactive relative Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC is concentrated in hemp flowers rather than traditional cannabis flowers. So, the most effective way to benefit from Delta-8 THC is to extract and infuse it in CBD flowers to create potent hemp products.
Since Delta-9 THC is the primary cannabinoid found in traditional cannabis, it’s what most people are referring to when talking about THC. But federal law stipulates that cannabis products should contain 0.3% or less Delta-9 THC because of its psychoactive properties, leaving the door open to the rise of hemp-based derivatives like Delta-8 flower.
Owing to strict regulations placed on the production of hemp flower by the 2018 Farm Bill, the production and extraction of Delta-8 THC are highly regulated and subject to strict third-party lab testing.
Main differences between Delta-9 THC and Delta-8 THC
For starters, Delta-9 THC has far stronger effects than Delta-8 THC. Put another way, Delta-9 THC is far more psychoactive, meaning that when you ingest it, you’ll feel higher than when smoking, vaporizing, or eating Delta-8 THC products.
If you want to know why it all comes down to science. In its freshest form, Delta-9 THC has a larger chemical bond than D8. However, as Delta-9 THC ages (in a process called oxidation), it naturally breaks down into Delta-8 THC isomers.
The easy takeaway here is that Delta-8 THC is a trace element left in cannabis and hemp flowers that’s leftover from the aging process as Delta-9 THC breaks down. If you’ve ever smoked old cannabis, you’ll notice the effects are much less intense, mellow, and relaxing because the D8 THC content is raised.
What are the effects of Delta-8 THC flower?
Whereas Delta-9 THC flower can make you feel dizzyingly high, confused, foggy, and unable to concentrate without drifting off, Delta-8 THC is almost the complete opposite. When vaporizing Delta-8 THC flower, you’ll find yourself feeling relaxed, in control, clear-headed, and able to continue your normal activities unhindered.
On the scale of feeling high, Delta-9 THC is a strong high, Delta-8 THC is a mild high, and CBD is low to no high. So, Delta-8 is a solid choice if you’re seeking relief from feeling stressed or are new to treating yourself with THC — the reason being that the high is very manageable. Another plus to Delta-8 THC is the onset of effects is gradual and tolerable, whereas Delta-9 THC can hit you with sudden intensity.
Additionally, there are medicinal effects associated with Delta-8 THC, such as clarity, composure, and sedation, making D8 flower a great choice before bed. Delta-8 THC has also shown efficacy in self-treating issues related to low appetite and nausea.
How Delta-8 THC is made
Delta-8 THC isn’t found in the same abundance as its relative Delta-9 THC. That’s because, as we mentioned in the previous section, D8 THC is a trace element in most cannabis and hemp flowers. However, hemp flowers do contain a greater concentration of Delta-8, so they make the best base material for creating D8 extractions.
The primary method used to synthesize Delta-8 THC is employing CBGA, short for cannabigerol acid, a cannabinoid related to CBG. Another cannabinoid called THCA is then produced from CBGA, which, in turn, is oxidized to create Delta-8 THC.
While there are a few ways to produce Delta-8 THC extracts, many of them are what we at Simply Crafted would deem dirty methods. Instead, we focus on cold fusion, a natural extraction method using only food-grade ethanol that locks in the full spectrum of plant oils (terpenes) and active molecules. Using cold fusion to extract Delta-8 THC is a potent, beneficial, clean, and flavorful product that retains all of the original plant material qualities.
Following the cold fusion Delta-8 THC extraction process, Simply Crafted third-party tests the end result at SC Labs, one of the world’s foremost cannabis and hemp quality control authorities.
Delta-8 THC flower legality
It should come as no surprise to hear that, at the federal level, cannabis is still illegal (we think that’s a bummer too). But, on the bright side, in 2018 the Farm Bill was passed at the federal level. What the Farm Bill did was legalize the production of hemp.
Now, here’s the important part: Because of the Farm Bill, any hemp that’s produced is legal as long as it contains 0.3% or less Delta-9 THC. However, the bill makes no stipulations about the synthesis of Delta-8 THC from hemp products, nor does it make requirements about Delta-8 concentration amounts in CBD products.
That’s why it’s perfectly legal at the federal level (and in most states) to synthesize Delta-8 THC from hemp flower and infuse CBD flowers to create incredibly delicious, potent, and beneficial Delta-8 flower.