(NewsNation) — Roughly 11% of high school seniors across the United States reported using delta-8 THC in the past year, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health recently found.
Usage of delta-8 was more common among those in the South and Midwest regions and where states did not legalize cannabis, nor have regulations on delta-8.
The study analyzed data from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance typically derived from hemp, a variety of the cannabis sativa planet. The Associated Press, in a 2021 article, described it as a “chemical cousin of pot” that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Around 91% of the 12th graders who said they used delta-8 also reported using marijuana.
“11% is a lot of people — that’s at least one or two students in every average-sized high school class who may be using delta-8,” NIDA director Nora Volkow said in a statement.
She urged parents to pay attention to the kinds of cannabis products their teens are using, and educate them about the potential risks they have for young people.
What is delta-8?
The FDA says delta-8 is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant, although it is not found in “significant amounts.”
“As a result, concentrated amounts of delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD),” the FDA said.
Because of this, the FDA said unauthorized manufacturers may use potentially unsafe household chemicals to make delta-8 or change the final product’s color.
“Here is uncertainty with respect to other potential contaminants that may be present or produced depending on the composition of the starting raw material,” the FDA said. “If consumed or inhaled, these chemicals, including some used to make (synthesize) delta-8 THC and the by-products created during synthesis, can be harmful.”
Delta-8 products have not been approved by the FDA, leading the agency to warn it may be marketed “in ways that put the public health at risk and should especially be kept out of reach of children and pets.”
At stores, the FDA said, there might be “variability in product formulations and product labeling, other cannabinoid and terpene content, and variable delta-8 THC concentrations.”
There were 104 reports of “adverse events” in patients who consumed delta-8 products between Dec. 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2022. Of these 104 events, 55% required emergency medical services or hospital admission, according to the FDA, including “hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
