You might have heard about a better, milder alternative to traditional marijuana, which is known as delta-8. You are probably familiar with the effects of cannabinoids in helping you relax and giving you a “high” feeling. Delta 8 is famous for being a milder version of the usual marijuana-related products.
A lot of people are hyping the positive effects of delta 8 on their lives, such as improved concentration. Many people use delta 8 THC products to treat chronic conditions such as pain and even psychosis. Better yet, you do not even need to smoke to get the benefits, as now, you can find many related products in different forms, even edibles.
You can easily find several articles and even positive customer experiences with delta 8. However, is delta 8 safe? Are there any side effects that should cause concern? Marijuana and any related products have always endured a lot of criticism. But, the truth is, without the proper knowledge, delta 8 can be harmful to your health.
What is Delta 8 THC?
Generally speaking, delta 8 should not harm your health, but it depends on several other factors. The process that delta 8 goes through is relevant to the quality of the product. Whenever you look into the quality, it means how pure the delta 8 THC is.
One of the main differences between delta-8 and delta-9 is their origin. Delta-9 is abundant in marijuana, while delta-8 exists in small quantities. For this reason, laboratories often make delta-8 with the same chemicals present in the plant’s leaves. Another difference between both delta types lies in the leaves since delta-8 comes exclusively from hemp leaves.
Hemp leaves have very little delta-9, so delta-8 products have more commercial freedom in the legal sphere. Why does any of this matter?
What Do Producers Have To Say About Delta 8?
To sell hemp-related products legally, the amount of delta-9 THC cannot exceed 0.3%. This amount can vary depending on your state, so make sure to double-check. Since hemp leaves do not have much delta-9, to begin with, this usually is not a problem.
However, the regulations on delta-8 are not as tight as they are on delta-9. As a result, you could end up buying a product advertised as delta-8 with a high content of delta-9. At the same time, the process a producer uses may affect you in other ways. Delta-8 is relatively safe to use and may even prove beneficial to your health. However, other chemicals could prove dangerous.
Hemp growers mostly use the leaves to extract CBD oil since delta-8 exists in low quantities. Laboratories use the chemicals on the leaf to synthesize more delta-8 to create products. A good producer will add as few external chemicals as possible, keeping the compounds clean.
Unfortunately, run-of-the-mill producers may add more chemicals than necessary, and doing this could prove harmful or even toxic for you. Furthermore, using a product with illegal THC levels could cause problems with the authorities.
Transparent delta 8 producers share information about their work with the public. Furthermore, experienced manipulation of the chemicals may even allow them to create a variety of products. Professional delta 8 producers can offer a variety of flavors or different ways to consume delta 8.
Something as simple as a different flavor could alter the effects of the product, and a good producer can manufacture their products without compromising quality or performance. So, you should be able to get the same benefits from two different flavor options. Ultimately, all you should be worried about is your preference, but trust is necessary, too.
Does Delta 8 Have Side Effects?
Unfortunately, it is not easy to find accurate or relevant studies surrounding delta 8. While delta-9 has left a footprint in history, delta-8 is relatively new. As far as we know, there are no dangerous immediate side effects of delta-8. However, long-term effects, if any, remain unknown to us.
The side effects of delta-8 itself are not dangerous, but they can feel similar to delta-9. Using a higher dose than recommended can cause sluggishness and paranoia, and other common effects are red eyes and thirst. Fortunately, these last two effects are not severe.
Both your eyes and throat may feel that way because of dryness, but it is not due to dehydration. THC makes your body relax, which happens to affect humidity production in both your eyes and mouth. In other words, you are not in imminent danger. If anything, it might just annoy you, and you might want to keep water nearby.
Other than that, the effects should disappear once the THC exits your system. Delta-8 acts similar to delta-9 but with less, if any, “high” sensation. You might even feel delta-8 helps your focus throughout the day. It can also help you relax and have a good night’s sleep and reduce any painful sensations you might have.
Delta 8 can help you relieve stress caused by psychological ailments such as PTSD. However, if you take too much delta-8, you might end up with effects closer to delta-9. These effects include nausea and paranoia, and other symptoms may consist of cloudy judgment and sloppy movements.
Fortunately, you can avoid the most severe symptoms by using small dosages, as starting small can help you find the ideal amount you need without having a bad experience.
Is Delta 8 Safe?
Anything can prove harmful in large quantities, and delta-8 is no exception. However, as far as research goes, it is hard to say if delta-8 or any hemp-related product has harmful long-term effects. When it comes to the immediate impacts, delta-8 may result in beneficial outcomes rather than negative ones, as long as you are responsible.
Alcohol and nicotine are deadlier drugs than marijuana. However, you can quickly get several cans of beer and multiple cigarette packs in any store. Delta-8 has fewer harmful effects than delta-9 and has medicinal uses besides recreation. While you should not underestimate its potential impacts, it should prove safe as long as you do your part.
Besides considering dosage, you should pick your brands appropriately as well. For example, if you buy any delta-8 product available at any gas station, you might not get the best results. In addition, since regulations on delta-8 are not that tight, some companies might expose customers to danger.
The worst part is that some users are unaware of the danger. You could expose yourself to poisonous chemicals or unhealthy doses of THC. But at the same time, companies might add much less delta-8 than advertised. So, you might feel it is challenging to have a good experience with delta-8, but all you need is a trustworthy brand.
You can find several options in the delta-8 market, primarily because of its rise in popularity. With so many options available, you might even feel intimidated when choosing one. Therefore, you must select a good brand, as otherwise, you might expose yourself to unnecessary danger.
It might seem challenging, but it only takes a little knowledge to make a good choice. If you are unsure of where to start, the following are some brands you can trust.
How Can You Tell if a Delta 8 Products or Brands Is Safe?
It is essential to make the right call when choosing a delta-8 product or brand; otherwise, you could experience harmful effects. If you would like to understand what makes the previous brands or any other brand trustworthy, you need to know what to consider.
Transparency is vital for any company, as it helps build trust with customers. When it comes to delta-8, the products’ ingredients fall under this “trust” heading. With this question, a company reveals whether or not a product is organic or even toxic. In addition, lab testing should come from third-party laboratories, as they remain unbiased with the results.
The tests will show you what chemicals are in a product and will even reveal the THC percentage. With lab results, you can tell if the amount of delta-8 or delta-9 in a product is legal in your state, and you can also check for any foreign chemicals and their amount in the development, ensuring it is not toxic.
Besides the technical details of delta 8, you should look into how the brand works as well. Popularity works as a great indicator of a brand’s trustworthiness; after all, lousy quality or dangerous products do not win any customers. So, take a look at the reviews other users have to say about them. Input from other people may even lead to learning new things about the product.
Finally, you should look into where the herbs a brand uses come from, as local farms are the best. It is not like homegrown hemp is better than others, but it is a longevity issue. The chemicals extracted from hemp leaves can spoil without appropriate measures. At the same time, long travel times overseas will rarely give you fresh products.
Delta 8 Dosage Guidelines
If you are a first-timer, you might be unsure how much delta 8 should you take. While a high dose of delta-8 does not pose a threat to your health, it could lead to a bad experience. This is because your body processes THC differently from everyone else. Experienced users even build resistance to THC and require slightly higher dosages.
To find the ideal amount for you, starting with smaller amounts is perfect. Then, you can gradually increase the dosage if you feel it is not enough until you reach the right spot for you. With delta 8 gummies, for example, you can try eating half of one instead of a whole gummy. Of course, this logic works the same with any other product.
Conclusion: How Does Delta 8 Effect The Body?
Delta-8 might seem like a less scary cousin of delta 9 to some people, but you can quickly learn that is not the case.
Although you must be mindful of the product you pick and the amount you use, this guide should help you make the right decision. Check with your physician if you still have doubts, and remember not to operate heavy machinery under delta 8’s influence. Improve your overall health or kick back and take it easy with the help of some delta 8. Enjoy!