What is Delta 8?
You've heard about it. You've seen it.
Time Magazine called it the 2021 cannabinoid of the year and a University of Buffalo study categorized it as "delta-9's nicer younger sibling".
Now here's your chance to read about one of the hottest, most popular cannabinoids on the market today- Delta 8 THC, its chemical composition, current legal status, and more.
GENERALLY.
Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, or Delta 8 THC, is a naturally occurring cannabinoid in the Cannabis Sativa L. plant that produces similar euphoric effects to the more commonly known Delta 9 THC. In recent years, Delta 8 THC has exploded in popularity due to the ability to refine cannabidiol (CBD) into Delta 8 THC, with the resulting product being produced entirely from hemp plants as defined in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Like its cannabinoid cousin Delta 9 THC, Delta 8 THC is offered in countless types of products with various delivery methods. Edibles, one of the main delivery methods for Delta 8 THC, includes common and specialty food and beverage items such as gummies, candies, baked goods, seltzers, coffee and more. Inhalable products, another major category for delivery of Delta 8, includes items such as Delta 8 vapes, carts, regular and kief pre rolls, and smokable flower.
At GramCo, our Delta 8 THC and Delta 8 products are produced in-house by our team at one of our various locations in Florida. We grow our own hemp smokable flower and kief at our nursery in Fort Meade, Florida. We currently refine our Delta 8 at our lab in Orlando, Florida, with final production and packaging happening in Jasper, Florida.
CHEMICALLY.
Delta 8 THC is chemically very similar to its cousin cannabinoid Delta 9 THC. Both are analogues of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with the potential for antiemetic, anxiolytic, appetite-stimulating, analgesic, and neuroprotective activities. Both Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC activate and interact with the CB1 receptor in the human brain, which mediates the effects of THC on the central nervous system. Your CB1 receptor allows you to experience the euphoric effects of Delta 8 THC once consumed.
While Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC interact with the body in the same ways, users have reported a less potent euphoria from Delta 8 THC, oftentimes with less anxiety-induced symptoms as well.
EFFECTS.
Consuming Delta 8 THC is often characterized as uplifting and mildly euphoric, without concentration issues, cloudiness, or anxiety common to Delta 9 THC. Many people describe the feeling as a "lighter" Delta 9 THC.
Users of GramCo’s Delta 8 THC products have reported improved appetite, sleep and sleep regulation, pain relief, and relaxation; however, everyone’s experience with Delta 8 is different. Please use caution when first trying any THC products.
TESTING DELTA 8 THC PRODUCTS.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Delta 8 THC brands currently sold on the market today with varying shapes, sizes, and product offerings. While Delta 8 THC brands and states’ regulations for selling hemp derived products differ, all states require hemp-derived Delta 8 products to be tested by an independent third-party laboratory. Test results are typically required to be posted on the label of the product.
At a minimum, states require Delta 8 products to be tested and sold with a Certificate of Analysis for cannabinoid potency, or what is commonly referred to as a “COA.” The COA will detail the cannabinoid potency of the Delta 8 THC product being tested, either as a percentage of the total dry weight of the product or as milligrams per serving. Delta 8 products such as vapes, carts and pre rolls are generally accompanied with a COA showing Delta 8 THC as a percentage of the total dry weight of the product. The COA for products such as Delta 8 gummies or GramCo’s Wake & Bake Coffee show Delta 8 potency as milligrams per serving.
Testing can be taken a step further with what is known as a full panel lab test, which tests for both cannabinoid potency and purity. Full panel lab tests typically test for the following:
- Cannabinoid potency;
- Pesticides;
- Residual solvents;
- Heavy metals;
- Microbials; and
- Mycotoxins.
All of GramCo’s products are labeled with a Certificates of Analysis that can be found by scanning are QR code provided on each product. To see an example of a full panel lab test, check out the test for GramCo’s Tropical Fruit Punch Gummies found here.
LEGALLY.
GramCo’s Delta 8 THC products are hemp derived, meaning the Delta 8 used in GramCo is produced entirely from hemp plants as defined in the 2018 Farm Bill. However, states have chosen to regulate Delta 8 in varying ways. While some states have chosen to outright ban Delta 8, others have embraced the novel cannabinoid.
For an update on an individual state and whether GramCo’s disposable vapes or any Delta 8 product can be delivered there, please click .
Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), GramCo’s regulator as it is a Florida-produced and packaged product, has put out the following favorable policy position in relation to Delta 8 THC:
Any hemp or hemp extract products offered for sale or sold in Florida must comply with all labeling rules and have a certificate of analysis that shows a total THC (THCA x .8777 + THC Delta 9 = total THC) content of 0.3% or less. Any hemp or hemp extract product that does not comply with all statutes and rules is subject to enforcement and possible destruction by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The full statement from FDACS can be found here.
At GramCo, we require anyone who purchases or consumes our Delta 8 THC products to be 21 years of age or older.
