Delta-8 THC, the synthetic cousin of the Delta-9 strain that gives marijuana its psychoactive high, has become easily accessible to kids online.
The oil derived from hemp is available in vape and edible versions. The manufacturers follow the marketing playbook of the e-cigarette industry and make the product attractive to children.
New York researchers scoured dozens of websites selling legitimate Delta-8 products and found that nearly all failed to properly verify buyers’ ages, did not keep prices low enough for even a weekly fee to cover them, and, in particular, tried to attract young people with vivid, cartoonish packaging.
Delta-8 products contain a milder alternative to the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana, which users say gives a more relaxing high without paranoia or anxiety. Some call it “diet weed.”
But whether the hemp-derived chemical is harmless has been debated for years, as calls to poison control centers about Delta-8 number in the thousands each year. And the lack of regulation of its production and sale to children is the biggest concern for health experts.
Delta-8 products are often packaged to be conspicuous, especially to impressionable young people who may not be fully aware of what they are consuming
Like the packaging of nicotine vapors and e-cigarettes, Delta-8 vapes are colorful and have catchy names
About a decade ago, a walk through smoke shops and convenience stores would reveal huge displays of colorful nicotine vapors packaged in packets with cartoon characters or Technicolor depictions of fruit and candy.
Ten years later, the displays look the same, but the products have changed. Delta 8 vape pens and edibles are often packaged in colorful bags and boxes with catchy names like Caviar, Cake and Cloud8.
Its legal status is also attractive to consumers and business owners in states where marijuana has not yet been fully decriminalized, allowing them to stock shelves full of e-cigarettes, gummies and more without breaking the law.
Online marketplaces are no different. Hofstra University researchers found that of 45 Delta-8 retail sites, more than half sold their products in child-friendly packaging.
Dr. Ruth Milanaik, a pediatrician and professor at Hofstra who led the study, said, “What worries me most about Delta-8 products is the fact that Delta-8 dealers seem to be competing with each other when it comes to ” It’s about making packaging that attracts young people’s attention.”
“It is important that there is more regulation to ensure that these products are not attractive to teenagers.”
Researchers also found that only 29 out of 45 websites asked customers to confirm their age before browsing. Almost all sites, 43 in total, lacked formal age verification measures by third parties, mostly separate companies that help companies comply with age-related retail requirements.
Almost all sites sold edibles and vape products, while just under half of the sites marketed delta-8 tinctures, mixtures of delta-8 oil extracted from the marijuana plant with another oil, such as hemp seed oil , diluted to drip it under the tongue.
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Most of the products sold on these sites are temptingly cheap.
The cheapest products from fifteen websites cost less than $5, and almost all of them sold Delta-8 for less than $20.
And online sellers offer the cheapest products with the highest concentrations of delta-8 THC.
Of the cheapest products on each site, four contain up to 30 mg of D8 and one contains between 31 and 40 mg.
Ten of the cheapest products contain 41 to 50 mg of D8 and 21 of these contain 51 or more milligrams of D8.
Nine of them did not mention any dose.
The researchers said: “The lack of age verification before users can purchase D8 products is extremely concerning.”
“The low prices, high doses available and eye-catching packaging make these products extremely attractive to teenagers looking for a high.”
The open-for-all legal landscape has resulted in thousands of calls to poison control centers.
From January 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022, there were more than 2,300 calls to poison control centers due to delta-8 exposure.
Most of these calls were from adults, but 41 percent were from minors.
40 percent of calls involved accidental exposure, such as accidentally taking the drug. Of this 40 percent, more than eight out of ten children were affected.
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers about Delta-8, which falls outside the agency’s jurisdiction, meaning manufacturers can get away with making products that contain other synthetic chemicals or even the federally illegal Delta-8. 9. adulterated THC variant. .
There is little more the FDA can do because delta-8 is not a criminalized drug under the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp.
Hemp comes from the cannabis plant, similar to marijuana, which millions of people enjoy recreationally or for therapeutic reasons. But unlike marijuana, hemp does not produce delta-9-THC.
The bill stated that hemp can be grown legally as long as the THC content remains below 0.3 percent.
The legislature specifically defined THC as the delta-9 variety, which remains federally illegal, and did not address its quieter cousin delta-8, which is derived from hemp-derived CBD.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
