You might not have been aware that there are more hemp and cannabis derivatives than THC and CBD. The market is ripe with numerous products that you can explore, and many of them are legal in most states.
These derivatives of hemp and cannabis might be able to help you treat anxiety, pain, and more. The nice thing is that the experience of each product is unique, and the paranoia or anxiety that can come with cannabis is a lot less likely to occur.
We’re going to take a look at delta 8 today, exploring why it’s one of the most exciting marijuana derivatives on the market right now. Hopefully, the information below can show you what you’re missing out on when it comes to using delta 8 THC.
Let’s get started.
What is Delta 8 THC?
Any discussion of cannabis or hemp derivatives requires a little understanding of how these plants are composed and why they have psychological and physical effects on people.
The cannabis plant naturally grows with a variety of things called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are different chemical compounds that interact with our endocannabinoid systems. Interestingly, the endocannabinoid system wasn’t understood or recognized until research was done on the effects of cannabis.
The endocannabinoid system is strung throughout our bodies, reaching almost everywhere that our nervous system goes. It deals with things like mood, hunger, pain, and a number of other essential human functions.
Cannabis can contain upwards of 100 cannabinoids. Typically, though, the dominant ones in any strain of cannabis are THC and CBD. THC is well known as the component of cannabis that produces a psychological high, while CBD is geared more toward pain relief and relaxation.
When synthesized and consumed individually, the difference between CBD and THC is striking. This is because different compounds interact uniquely with the receptors in our endocannabinoid system.
Less Prominent Cannabinoids
The other 98-odd cannabinoids that are present in cannabis exist in lower concentrations than THC and CBD. While their effects in the plant do make a difference, it would be hard for you to note those differences consciously.
Additionally, there isn’t too much that’s known about the other cannabinoids in marijuana, although one is starting to see a rise in popularity. Delta 8 THC is one such cannabinoid, and people are finding that it might pose a number of interesting benefits.
The standard THC that most people know is also called delta 9 THC. Delta 8 THC is often considered a degraded version of delta 9, but that doesn’t mean it’s worse or lesser than the standard version.
Delta 8 is naturally produced in cannabis, only in very tiny amounts. That is until marijuana sits for an extended period of time. As the plant sits, some of the delta 9 THC naturally changes into delta 8.
Their chemical compositions are very similar. The few differences they do have, though, change the way that the chemical interacts with the receptors in our endocannabinoid systems.
How Delta 8 Interacts with Our Bodies
The neurons in our endocannabinoid systems are equipped with numerous receptors. These receptors have specific duties and communicate various things to different areas of our bodies.
In most cases, the receptors give signals that tell our bodies to produce a hormone, reduce the flow of another, or something along those lines. When we think about something “communicating,” we often make it to be more complex than it is.
On a fundamental level, our bodies operate like a computer. The result is something that seems fluid and very complex, but the fundamental levels of a computer are ones and zeros, not conscious decisions.
The same goes for the neurons. When a receptor is plugged with a particular chemical, that chemical prompts a signal that gets sent down the wire to open up a valve and release a hormone or neurotransmitter. Those releases make us feel happy, scared, excited, and everything else under the sun.
How does using delta 8 THC affect our systems, though?
Delta 8’s Interaction with The Endocannabinoid System
To understand the effect of delta 8, we have to do a little exploration of delta 9 as well as CBD.
The endocannabinoid system uses two primary receptors when interacting with cannabis. Those receptors are called CB1 and CB2. CB1 interacts more with a person’s actual brain. Cannabinoids that work with this receptor will produce psychological effects that stem, in large part, from interactions with the amygdala and frontal cortex.
The CB2 receptor is more related to the body. The experiences of pain, hunger, and relaxation are related to this receptor. There’s overlap between these receptors and their effect on the brain vs body, but they tend to stay mostly in their lanes.
THC binds with the CB1 receptor. This is why THC is known to produce mostly psychological effects in people who use cannabis. CBD binds to the CB2 receptor, pushing its effects into the body more than the mind.
Delta 8 THC operates on the CB2 receptor as well. It’s composed of the same chemical compounds as delta 9 THC, but it engages with a different part of the body. This interaction causes a unique experience.
What Is The Delta 8 High Like?
Because it’s similar to traditional THC but interacts with the body like CBD, the experience of delta 8 is unlike either.
Most people report that the high is kind of like that of normal cannabis, except that it’s a lot smoother. Additionally, they report that the feelings of anxiety and paranoia that come with regular use of cannabis are diminished or gone altogether.
One of the most striking things that people notice is the fact that the high is less intense than it would be if you used standard THC. For those who enjoy cannabis to a point but aren’t fans of the intense highs that it can produce, this could be a really great option.
The intensity of cannabis, especially modern cannabis, can be overwhelming at times. The fortunate thing is that so many strains exist that there are options with low THC content.
Even then, many individuals find that using standard cannabis almost always has an adverse effect on their sense of mental wellbeing. Why is that?
Why Cannabis Produces Anxiety
It’s important to note that the reasons a person has for feeling anxious on cannabis can’t be lumped into one category. That person might be generally anxious in the first place. They could have also had bad experiences when using cannabis before, and even the smell of marijuana triggers anxiety in them.
Personal factors aside, there’s one thing that directly correlates to feelings of anxiety while high. THC binds with the receptors that engage heavily with our amygdala.
The amygdala is the part of the brain that produces anxiety and fear, for good reason. We need fear and anxiety to guide us in some instances, although those feelings aren’t as necessary when they’re amplified by cannabis.
THC pumps up the amount of serotonin in the amygdala and causes it to be far more active than it would normally be. Serotonin is thought of as the “happiness” hormone, but its effects are different depending on where in the brain it’s produced.
In the case of the amygdala, that just leads us to have more rapid thoughts and devolve into a state of paranoia. The nice thing about delta 8 is that it doesn’t bind with those receptors.
It engages with other regions of the body more than it does the regions of the brain. There will still be some impact on your frontal cortex and amygdala, but those impacts are far less significant than you might be used to.
Is Delta 8 Legal?
The cool thing about delta 8 is that it’s legal in more places than delta 9 is. The federal laws stated that hemp derivative products are legal so long as they have delta-9-THC contents lower than three percent.
This is pretty much a way to ensure that none of the products sold on the legal market are able to be used to get high. The beautiful thing is that delta-8-THC is a hemp derivative and it isn’t listed as illegal under federal law.
The important thing to look at, though, is how much delta-9-THC is contained in the product. In a lot of cases, the delta 8 is just synthesized and there isn’t anything else in the product.
Delta 8 is a legal alternative to traditional THC products, and it can be mixed and mashed in the same ways to make THC tincture, oils, edibles, and whatever else you like.
We can’t close out our discussion of hemp derivatives without looking at a few other products, though.
CBD Products
CBD is an excellent option for anyone looking to get pain relief or reduce their stress. Cannabinoid receptors are present throughout the body and products that soak into our skin will be guided toward receptors that spread signals everywhere.
Many people wonder how topical CBD rubs and oils can work when they just sit on the skin. It’s important to remember that our skin is porous and there are veins, nerves, and systems that unite each piece of our body with the rest.
That means that anything we absorb through the skin tends to be gathered by the blood and worked into our neurons to be interpreted by the nervous system.
So, rubbing CBD products onto your body will benefit the direct area of application the most, but effects will spread out everywhere else. Your inflammation will go down and you might note a reduction in the general sense of anxiety you feel.
The beautiful thing is that these effects are often very subtle. Over time, though, they start to pick up and make serious changes to your health. Try to use CBD as a prescription.
Regular application over time will produce the results you’re looking for. You can learn about the differences between delta 8 and CBD here.
Other Hemp Products
There are a whole host of hemp products out there from clothing to soaps to medications. The list goes on and on because hemp is one of the most versatile materials that humans can use.
The legalities surrounding hemp make it difficult to know what you can and cannot buy sometimes. If you’re in a shop, you can be pretty sure that the product you’re looking at is entirely legal.
It’s more difficult when you start ordering things online, though. Even if something is legal in the state that it’s being sold in, it might not be legal to ship it to the place where you live. Further, the company might not care or have some way to remove their responsibility.
In those cases, they might not tell you that it’s illegal. It’s important to check the quality of a hemp or hemp derivative site whenever you choose to make a purchase.
Watching Out for Your Health
Not only might you get into some legal hot water with shady businesses, but your health and wellness could be put into jeopardy by faulty products. Synthesized materials are nothing to joke about, and can produce a lot of adverse effects if they’re created wrong.
It can be a simple process to extract hemp products and get the cannabinoids that we enjoy, but there are a lot of things that could lead to a dangerous product. Companies that make faulty products don’t care too much about that because they’re trying to make a buck.
Check the Google business reviews of any company you buy from and see what they have to say. There are plenty of good companies out there that will provide you with an excellent product to enjoy.
Want to Learn More?
The world of delta 8 is an exciting place. It’s a new product and there’s lots more to know about how it might be able to benefit you. We’re here to help.
Explore our site for more ideas and insight into cannabis, THC derivatives, and more.
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