Health

How Is Delta-8 Made? – The Complete Guide

How Is Delta-8 Made

According to Rasmussen Reports, a staggering 62% of U.S adult Americans favor legalizing marijuana. I bet you a good amount of them consume cannabis products, legally and illegally. A surprising percentage of the population still is not fully aware of what Delta 8 is and how it works. When anyone hears legal THC, the questions are bound to flood in. It’s the same when many learn that delta-8 is a part of the CBD industry. Not only that, but it is federally unregulated. Like its famous predecessors, CBD and delta-9, Delta-8 is a cannabinoid that has gained tremendous appeal in the industry. Ultimately, Delta-8 is a legal alternative to marijuana. Its effects are a little milder, and there are potential health benefits. Delta-8 began being touted as a “lite” version of marijuana, which raised serious concerns amongst everyone about how this cannabis variant is made and legal. Since Delta-8 only contains less than 0.3% THC, many users are looking for confirmation that this cannabidiol will indeed give them a high, but this will not pose any legal problems—providing a state where delta-9 THC is illegal an alternative.

Delta-8 THC is derived from hemp, naturally occurring in trace amounts.  There is a need for a chemical conversion involving another cannabinoid in hemp, CBD. Although delta-8 THC is found in all hemp and cannabis plants, most of the products available today are made from hemp plants that undergo an extensive process that converts CBD to Delta-8. Commercial processors use techniques such as selective dilution, distillation, and molecular isolation to create Delta-8 rich concentrates. Converting CBD to delta-8 usually produces byproducts, and laboratory testing is essential when testing products that claim to be made from the recently popular cannabinoids. 

Delta-8 is a minor cannabinoid, which is present in lower amounts than major cannabinoids like traditional THC or CBD. Although delta-8 THC is found in all hemp and hemp plants, a few of the latest alternate cannabinoids are available today are made from CBD have undergone an extensive process of conversions. Before Delta-8-THC can be produced, CBD must be extracted from legal cannabis materials, usually using cannabis flowers or cannabis biomass (i.e., whole cannabis plant). ATLRx uses full-spectrum CBD Oil, which collectively has more cannabinoids for more health benefits. Unlike other cannabinoid extracts (especially ethanol-based methods), conversion to delta-8 requires non-polar organic solvents. The distillate can then be further purified to produce higher delta 8 concentrations in excess of 99%. Over time, CBGA will naturally be converted into specific cannabinoids, such as CBD or CBG. In nature, this process is affected by factors such as environment and plant genetics, which is why some cannabinoids are more critical than others. Manufacturers can control these variables in a laboratory environment and manipulate the CBGA conversion process to produce the desired compound.

Naturally, the FDA was concerned that products with delta-8 THC could expose consumers to much higher levels of the substance than those found in raw hemp extracts. However, the FDA doesn’t regulate the CBD industry, and this has allowed companies to vulture tactics to make a cheap product without any lab testing or forged labs. Not all of the industry has bad intentions, but it is vital to research where you are getting your delta-8. Scientists are currently improving methods for producing delta-8 from CBD extracts through a process known as isomerization.  Due to its legally obscure status and psychoactive effects, commercial cannabis growers and cannabinoid extractors have used selective breeding, extraction techniques, and molecular manipulation to produce more delta-8 THC.

Delta-8 is federally legal if the hemp-derived product contains less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC depending on the state. According to the 2018 Agriculture Law, hemp and cannabis products (such as CBD) are legal if they contain a delta 9 THC concentration below <0.3%. Since delta-8 is derived from hemp, this ensures that the federal government is in compliance with the 2018 Agriculture Act.   Delta-8 products derived from traditional cannabis are definitely not legal in all states. Some experienced THC users find that delta-8 is not as effective as THC, so you may need to adjust your dosage to get a similar effect. Although most delta-8 THC comes from industrial hemp, urinalysis and other generic substance use tests are not sophisticated enough to distinguish between delta-9 and delta-8 THC intake. Drug testing does not differentiate between types of THC, so while Delta 8 is technically legal, it would not be treated this way with a chemical drug test.    

Each cannabinoid uniquely interacts with the body, and some are better known than others. CBD and THC are two of the most prevalent cannabinoids, but Delta 8 is rapidly reaching the same level. However, there are some unique challenges when it comes to mining Delta 8 in particular. In order to consume this elusive cannabinoid, processors must use various scientific methods to extract it from the plant carefully. Extracting Delta-8 from cannabis to create a product powerful enough to produce noticeable effects is not easy.  We do not recommend converting CBD to Delta 8 unless you have a proper laboratory setup and strong experience in organic chemistry. There are usually byproducts of converting CBD to delta-8, and when testing a product that claims to be made from the recently popular cannabinoid, laboratory tests are critical. For delta-8 products that must go through the process of converting a major cannabinoid to a minor delta-8, lab tests are the best way to know precisely what you are getting and how safe it is. 

We recommend buying delta 8 THC extracts from reputable manufacturers. Make sure any vendor provides you with a complete list of ingredients used in their products, down to delta 8 THC coming from hemp. Take time to inquire about the company offering various products on Delta 8 products such as delta 8 flowers, delta 8 gummies, and make sure they provide up-to-date information on who they are and how their products are manufactured. Lab results should never be a mystery. 

Although the cannabinoid is a natural derivative, its low concentration in cannabis plants makes the cost of direct extraction prohibitive. The FDA is also concerned that delta-8 THC products expose consumers to much higher levels of the substance than those naturally found in raw cannabis hemp extracts. This is why the importance of lab results before and after is so stressed in this industry. ATLRx sources the best, purest delta-8 distillate that you can get on the market. Then that distillate then provides us with the most refined alternate cannabinoids. We follow the federal regulations of recreational states such as Colorado and Oregon in an industry without any regulation. We are as transparent as can be. The QR codes on our packaging lead you to the DEA-certified lab test results. Anything less than immaculate never enters any of our retail fronts—no solvents, pesticides, metals, or residuals. Testing of the final product is the most critical stage of production. Good quality products are checked using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. This method allows isolates of each compound and makes sure it does not contain unwanted chemicals. While making delta-8 in the laboratory is relatively straightforward, it involves a combination of many potentially hazardous chemicals.

 

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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