Is Delta 8 Addictive? Here's What You Need To Know

What Are Delta-8 and Delta-9?

The cannabis plant contains more than 400 naturally occurring compounds, more than 100 of which are referred to as cannabinoids. Two of the most well-known cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

The category of THC can be further broken down into several distinct substances, including Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC. (There’s also a Delta-10 THC, but for the purposes of today’s post we are going to focus on Delta-8 and 9.

• Delta-9 THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The effects that are typically associated with a marijuana high – such as elevated mood, enhanced sensitivity to sound and light, and altered perception of time – are due to the presence of Delta-9 THC.

   

• Delta-8 THC naturally occurs in a much smaller volume than Delta-9 does in a cannabis plant. While Delta-8 is also a psychoactive substance, its effects are far less intense that what Delta-9 can cause. This has caused some people to refer to Delta-8 as “diet weed.”

   

Since there is such a small amount of Delta-8 in a cannabis plant, many manufacturers synthesize the substance after extracting cannabidiol from hemp. 

In the United States, cannabis derivatives that contain less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC are legally classified as hemp. Federal prohibitions against marijuana do not apply to hemp, which is why you often see Delta-8 products advertised and sold in places where it is illegal to purchase or possess marijuana (meaning weed with Delta-9 THC).

The relatively relaxed regulations around Delta-8 have caused many people to believe that this is a safe substance. While it is possible to consume Delta-8 products without incurring considerable harm, it is important to understand that doing so is not a completely risk-free endeavor.

In the next section, we’ll talk about some of the problems that can result from using cannabis products that contain either version of THC. We’ll also answer the question, are Delta-8 or 9 addictive?

Are Delta-8 or 9 Addictive?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has reported that using Delta-9 THC can lead to an array of problems, including:

• Impaired judgement or coordination
• Memory problems
• Diminished learning capacity
• Hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis
• Lung irritation
• Elevated heart rate
• Nausea and vomiting
• Worsening symptoms of some mental health concerns
• Addiction
  
  

Turning our attention to Delta-8 THC, a May 2022 warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted the following:

• The FDA does not evaluate or approve products containing Delta-8, so there is no guarantee that they are being marketed in an accurate manner.
  
  
• Between Jan. 1, 2021, and Feb. 28, 2022, U.S. poison control centers received 2,362 calls related to Delta-8 exposure. 70% of these calls required evaluation at a health care facility, 8% resulted in admission, and one case (involving a child who accidentally ingested Delta-8) ended in death.
  
  
• Since Delta-8 manufacturing is not regulated, products that contain this substance may also include dangerous undisclosed contaminants.
  
  

In May 2023, the Journal of Cannabis Research published a study of online reports of adverse effects that had been written by people who used Delta-8. The researchers who conducted this study revealed that the list of frequently reported Delta-8 problems included:

• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Panic attack
• Chest pain
• Elevated heart rate
• Breathing difficulties
• Throat irritation

   

   

This study also reported that many chronic users of Delta-8 reported withdrawal symptoms when they ended their use of the drug. Withdrawal is one of the classic signs of addiction.

To summarize: 

• Are Delta-8 or 9 addictive? Yes, using either drug can lead to addiction. Neither of these substances pose the high risk of addiction that drugs such as heroin or fentanyl do. But both Delta-8 and Delta-9 can cause people to become addicted. 
• Once someone develops an addiction to either Delta-8 or Delta-9 THC, they may need professional care to help them overcome the compulsion to continue using these substances.