How to Legally Get High From THC Practically Anywhere in the USA
At the time of this writing, 18 states have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes , which means that consumption for the sake of entertainment has now become one for approximately 140 million Americans over 21 years, but even if you’re not one of them, you should not let a stoner FOMO manages your life. In fact, there is a 100 percent federal legal way to consume THC – and get high – almost anywhere in the United States. But, of course, there are some caveats (some of them were noted by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control in a warning letter that was posted earlier this week ). I first learned that (almost) universal legitimate high THC levels are possible in the same way that I find out about almost everything these days: from a podcast – specifically, from advertisements during one of the many movie podcasts I listen to when I you need to calm your restless mind. … The ad advertised a company selling what is called delta-8 THC, which is a modified form of THC, the most famous of the psychoactive chemicals in cannabis and most responsible for feeling drunk . According to CannabisTech, delta-8 is a “naturally occurring cannabinoid,” but most commercially sold delta-8 is produced chemically from hemp (which is federal legal, but only if THC falls below a certain threshold ) using solvents. and other scientific know-how .
Why the hell is delta-8 THC allowed?
Like the largely non-psychoactive CBD , delta-8 THC is federally legal (or perhaps more accurately, technically not bad Egalem) due to a loophole in the 2018 agriculture bill, allowing for widespread cannabis and hemp cultivation of product origin … According to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy group, the bill “does not impose restrictions on the sale, transport, or possession of hemp-derived products, as long as those products are manufactured in accordance with the law. “The Farm Act was not aimed at legalizing marijuana, so it contains a specific limit on the THC levels that can be included in these various hemp products (from oils to tinctures): 0.3%, a trace is too low for you to be in rage, or even have a psychoactive effect (though your experience may vary depending on, is whether your oil CBD «full spectrum”, your personal level of tolerance or your susceptibility to the placebo effect ). But here’s the trick: The Farm Act states that hemp products cannot contain more than 0.3% ” delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration .” And because it is a separate substance – and only one of over “120 other naturally occurring cannabinoids known to be present in the cannabis plant,” according to a policy article from the law firm Harris Bricken – which makes delta- 8 THC completely legal.
You know, technically. At least for now – in a 2020 ruling, the Drug Enforcement Agency announced that “synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols” remain a Schedule I controlled substance. It’s just that no one has yet considered whether delta-8 THC, derived from hemp, could be considered as one of them, which means that the sale of products containing this material currently falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA , just like CBD does. But that could change at any time – and in fact, commercial cannabis sellers are actively campaigning to make this happen , fearing competition with a cheaper product for buyers’ dollars.
[Editor’s note: Reader noticed after posting that delta-8 THC is actually illegal in Idaho and some other states ; Overall, 11 states have passed laws eliminating a legal loophole in the aforementioned 2018 Agriculture Bill or otherwise restricting the possession and use of cannabis, including several states where cannabis is legal, including Montana, Alaska, and Arizona. Regardless, delta-8 THC is legal for an estimated 300 million Americans.]
How delta-8 THC is produced
The farm law says that hemp-derived products must be that way to be legal; you can technically extract delta-8 THC from cannabis plants, which are also high in “regular” THC, but that would be illegal. In its pure form, the process begins with a whole hemp flower, which must be chemically distilled to isolate the delta-8 cannabinoid THC. The resulting distillate can then be further concentrated and made into a variety of products that match what consumers would expect if they ever bought cannabis legally, from foods to oils. Some delta-8 THC is also produced by chemically converting CBD or delta-9 THC using “heat, catalysts, pH change media and / or solvents.”
Is Delta-8 THC Really High?
Great, delta-8 THC is legal [Editor’s note: if you don’t live in one of the few states where you don’t, take a breath] and, unlike cannabis products, even in states where marijuana is legal, it can be mailed for a company like the one I heard on that podcast. I found this out easily enough in my internet investigation, but if ardor over CBD oil is any indication, many companies are more than happy to advertise products with bold claims about their effects when they really don’t need to provide evidence to back them up. … This particular supplier of delta-8 THC promised all the benefits of consuming a regular old refrigerator – calling it “a more functional replacement for delta-9 THC” – without any potential (slightly questionable) negative effects, namely: “addiction, sleep problems, paranoia , anxiety, laziness, etc. ” (It’s worth noting that none of these claims are backed by proven research – like CBD , the delta-8 THC market is not yet federally regulated, so you should trust the manufacturer when it comes down to what is in the products, how they are made, and what effects they might have.)
My initial reaction was that I would only believe it when I experienced it, but I needed a second opinion, so I turned to Reddit as a place to find out everything I could know about the high. (There are subreddits for almost every state that has legal weed, discusses local strains and retailers, and offers tips for newbies.) And Reddit has said a lot about delta-8 THC , and for the most part, that’s exactly what you would like. hear. if you are trying to research this stuff. In short: yes, you will get high from it. What the high looks like will differ from person to person, but this always applies to any psychoactive substance, from the lump to the Budweiser. But the consensus on delta-8 THC, both from the company selling it and from Redditor’s comments, seems to be that it definitely has strong effects, albeit different from those of delta-9 THC. In particular, it is more like “elevating the body”, characterized as “lighter” and “soothing” ; it will give you a pleasant “high”, but it will also leave you clear enough to go about your day to day activities. Although, if your day-to-day business involves drug testing, proceed with caution – delta-8 THC may very well cause a positive drug test .
Proceed with caution
This all seemed good to me, so I thought it was worth the risk of ordering – an easier solution given that delta-8 THC products can be a heck of a lot cheaper than legal cannabis sold in other states. I opted for a pack of 16 gummies for about $ 30, but you can also order vapes and tinctures, and concentrates (if you’d rather make your own edible products). They arrived in no time, and I admit it was a bit odd to discover a clearly illegal product that I received in the regular mail, although I have felt the same way in the past with CBD oil orders decorated with weed images. But what really worried me was whether the gummies would actually work as advertised.
I ate two because I have experience with legal cannabis, and the consensus on Reddit seemed to be that delta-8 THC is about half as effective. Within 45 minutes, I realized that I had paid my money back. As promised, I felt some of the familiar effects associated with weed – lightness in the body, increased focus, increased appetite, increased fun in SpongeBob ‘s square pants – albeit with less intensity and without the confusion or haze that can result from hitting a heavy cover, so to speak. But. But. Since I first published this article a few months ago, I have had more time to sort out the first pack of gummies and even the second, and I found that my reactions to eating the same amount varied greatly. , which suggests that not all of them are created equal, even within the same package. My anecdotal evidence suggests that delta-8 THC levels between gummies can vary so much that you can never know exactly what you are going to get, or how you will feel about it. In practice, this meant that, as described above, I sometimes experienced mild, pleasant effects after consuming two or even three gummies. Other times (including one particularly memorable Friday evening), I would eat half and suddenly feel too high , even so uncomfortable – my goal was that the night was to relax and fall asleep, but I found myself lying in bed, spiral , my heart beats as fast as my thoughts. I had to concentrate to keep the room from spinning, even with my eyes closed, and the next day I still felt uncomfortable (and hungover). Not cool – and like I said, I’m not new to THC or foods, so this wasn’t just the ” Maureen Dowd Discovered Marijuana Chocolate ” incident. Given that food is generally considered to be more unpredictable than other cannabis consumption methods, I could certainly try other delta-8 products, but cases of vaping-related lung disease that arose a few years ago (which, as recently noted Our medical columnist Beth Squarecki appeared to be linked to unsafe additives in illicitly produced marijuana vapes ), leading to I fear inhaling anything that does not go through the rigorous testing process prescribed by federal authorities. Yes, many vendors, including the one I bought, post their test logs on their sites, and I have no reason to doubt them. But my experience with these gummies has led me to conclude that I’d rather just wait for legal cannabis sales to start in my state (put it all together, New York).
This article was edited after publication on March 31, 2021 to include an additional note and link on the ability of delta-8 THC to induce a positive drug test. It was revised again on April 1 to expand on a second on how delta 8 THC is produced and to note that delta 8 THC is illegal in Idaho and other states. We’ve also added the word “Almost” to the heading and first paragraph. This article was updated again on September 17, 2021 to include a mention of the FDA / CDC warning letter, to provide more details on how delta-8 is created and whether it is safe to consume, and to add more about my personal experience with products from the “Use with care” section.