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High school seniors Delta-8, a cannabis compound sometimes marketed as “light THC” or a legal alternative to weed, is “exciting,” a new study finds, especially for adults in states without legal weed options.
Delta-8 THC, or Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinolIt is one of over 100 chemical compounds found in Cannabis sativa plant. When a person inhales cannabis, a large amount of the molecule is an isomer, or chemical cousin, to delta-9 THC. Delta-9 is the most abundant THC in weed and is responsible for most of its psychoactive effects. Delta-8 acts on the brain in a similar way but is less potent and has fewer legal restrictions.
Unlike weed, there are no age restrictions for purchasing Delta-8 in most states where the product is legal. Based on findings In the study, published Tuesday in the journal JAMA, the authors argue that the number of young people who reported using delta-8 could be a “public health concern.”
“What we didn't know before this study was the extent to which these products were reaching teenagers, and that was a concern because of the lack of comprehensive monitoring,” said Dr. Adam Leventhal, executive director of the USC Institute. The science of addiction.
Delta-8 comes in many forms that can appeal to children, such as gum, chocolate, cookies, vaping cartridges, soda, and breakfast cereals. Delta-8 is not only old but also easily accessible as it is sold at convenience stores, gas stations and online.–Restricted distributions.
For the new study, the researchers from Pursuing the future The in-school survey was conducted across the US between February and June 2023. The study is an ongoing, nationally representative assessment of adolescent behavior and attitudes about a variety of topics. Researchers first measured the use of Delta-8 in 2023.
In a sample of 2,186 12th graders, 11.4% said they had used delta-8 THC in the past year, and 30.4% of participants reported using it even though weed is illegal for youth.
Of the 295 students who reported using Delta-8 in the past year, 68.1% had used it at least three times, 35.4% had used it at least 10 times, and 17% had used it at least 40 times. About 91% of Delta-8 users also reported using weed.
Delta-8 use was higher among teenagers in the South and Midwest and in states where marijuana is not legal for adults, the study found.
White teenagers are more likely to use Delta-8 and weed than any other race or ethnicity. The study found that slightly more men than women used weed and delta-8.
“Eleven percent It's a lot of people. That means at least one or two students are using Delta-8 in every average high school classroom. We don't have enough information about these drugs; But we already see that they are very accessible to teenagers, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who was not involved in the study. “In general, cannabis use has negative effects on the adolescent brain, so we need to pay attention to the types of cannabis products used by teenagers, educate young people about the possible dangers and ensure that cannabis treatment and adequate mental health care is provided to those who need it.
Leventhal also says 11% is a “too high” number.
“We didn't expect it to be this high, and it was an issue when we saw the data,” he said.
The study has some limitations. The study does not cover all teenagers in the state and only those enrolled in school are surveyed. Most of the participants were about 17 years old, so the study may not fully represent how many young adults use Delta-8.
The authors said their research underestimated how many children actually use these drugs. Alongside this study, according to an editorial published Tuesday, there is general concern that the number of students using Delta-8 is increasing.
“The uncontrolled expansion of Δ8-THC may pose a threat to public health,” said Dr. Jennifer Whitehill, Kelly Dunn and Renee Johnson, scientists at Amherst and Johns Hopkins University in Massachusetts. “The trends in use patterns for Δ8-THC described by Harlow et al. should serve as an important catalyst and catalyst. The next cannabinoid on the market may not be so mild.”
The use of Delta-8 remains a concern for some public health officials and politicians, with it being banned in at least 17 states and “severely restricted” in seven as of November. National Cannabis Industry Association.
Scientists do not fully understand how delta-8 affects teenagers. There are no large medical studies that show exactly how it affects the body, especially the young one who is still growing. Research on weeds It has been found to negatively affect young people's memory and attention, as well as their ability to learn.
Some of the biologically based risks can be addictive, as we see in marijuana, because the adolescent brain is still developing and exposure to addictive substances can disrupt proper development, so some neurodevelopmental changes can occur. “Brain pathways that support cognition and emotion regulation,” Leventhal said.
FDA Controls drug products Cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, like other pharmaceutical and medical products, but do not regulate delta-8; Therefore, it is not completely clear what is in each individual product.
There are other signs that the use of Delta-8 is growing and causing some problems. Calls to US poison centers about delta-8 products rose 82 percent from 2021 to 2022, the group said. Latest reportBy 2022, 3,358 vulnerabilities will be managed. The calls fall into two categories: children who accidentally ate the product and adults who had an adverse reaction.