One of my patients who has a history of cannabis use disorder was abstinent for several years based on both self-report and the results of randomly administered high-quality urine drug screen tests. He reported to me that he had recently used delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC) but tried to minimize the significance of this by saying that it was “pretty weak stuff.”
As mental health clinicians, we know about delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), the most important psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. But what is delta-8-THC, and why is it important that we learn about it?
What is delta-8-THC?
Delta-8-THC is a cannabinoid that is an isomer of the better-known delta-9-THC.
It has become increasingly available in the United States because of a new law passed in 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) that legalized cannabinoids that are derived from hemp and contain less than 0.3% delta-9-THC.
Is delta-8-THC psychoactive?
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