Exposures to Delta-8 THC lower in US states where cannabis is legal – study

The number of exposures to Delta 8-THC increased by 79% from 2021 to 2022, with reports ‘significantly lower’ in states with access to legal cannabis. 

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the availability of synthetic cannabinoids with similar effects to the naturally-occurring Delta-9 THC. 

One of these—Delta-8 THC— is now widely available in the US, sold in shops, gas stations, and online, often without age restrictions, in the form of edibles, beverages and vaping products.

This has led to growing public health concerns due the lack of FDA regulation of these products, with a number of safety issues being reported, including contamination, inaccurate labelling and a lack of age-restricted packaging. 

Researchers behind the new study investigated the prevalence of exposures involving Delta-8 THC reported to US poison centres across different states, between 2021-2022. 

In total, there were almost 5,000 exposures involving Delta-8 as the primary substance between 1 January, 2021 and 31 December, 2022, with the authors identifying a 79.2% increase in exposures from 0.53 in 2021 to 0.95 in 2022.

Despite Delta-8 products being intended for use by adults, according to the study, more than half of exposures involved children. 

Effects of legalisation and regulation

In states where cannabis use was illegal, the average rates exposures were significantly higher, around 1.64 per 100,000 population compared with 0.52 in states where either medical or adult-use cannabis was legal. 

“Our findings showed a statistically significant lower rate of ∆8-THC exposures reported to PCs among states where medical or recreational cannabis use was legal than states where cannabis use was illegal,” the authors state.

“This is likely attributable, in part, to less market competition from ∆9-THC products in states where their use was illegal, and that ∆8-THC was likely being used as a substitute for ∆9-THC.”

The study also highlights the effects of introducing stricter regulations around the sale and use of Delta-8 products. To date, 15 states have banned Delta-8, with a further nine restricting its use.

Exposures in states where products were banned were reported to be significantly lower (0.17) compared to states where it remains unregulated (1.36). 

“This reflects the potential for regulation to reduce potentially harmful exposures,” the authors conclude. 

“Although, to-date, public policy efforts have focused more on ∆9-THC, our study’s findings support the need for adoption of consistent regulation of ∆8-THC across all states.”