New Study: 1 in 10 High School Seniors Use Delta-8-THC

According to a nationally representative survey that was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 11 percent of high school seniors used Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol—also known as Delta-8-THC, "weed lite," or Delta-8 for short—in the past year.

Delta-8-THC is a psychoactive substance that is derived from hemp, a type of cannabis plant. Although people typically think of hemp as a variant of cannabis that is not psychoactive (i.e., that doesn’t have mind- or mood-altering effects), this is not the case.

What Do We Know About Delta-8-THC?

• It has intoxicating effects that are similar to Delta-9-THC, the substance in cannabis that makes people feel high.
• Delta-8-THC products are sold online and in some convenience stores.
• Delta-8-THC products are often labeled as “hemp” products, which often leads people to think they are not mood- or mind-altering, even though this is not true.
• Harmful chemicals are often added to make marketed Delta-8-THC products more potent and/or appealing.
• Recent years have seen an uptick in reports to the FDA and Poison Control Centers of adverse events resulting from the use of Delta-8-THC, including hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, and, in at least one case, death.

What Do We Know About Teens and Delta-8-THC?

• In the recent JAMA study, over 90 percent of teens who used Delta-8-THC also reported marijuana use in the past year.
• Because there is no federal age restriction for purchasing Delta-8-THC-containing products, they can be very easy for teens to access online and in person.
• Manufacturers are packaging and labeling Delta-8-THC products in ways that are likely to appeal to young people (e.g., as gummies, chocolates, cookies, or candies)

What Do We Need to Know About Delta-8-THC to Keep Young People Safe?

Cannabis use among teens is associated with a variety of health problems, including disruptions in brain development, problems with learning, memory, and attention, development of addiction to cannabis, and psychiatric problems including depression, anxiety, and psychosis.

Delta-8-THC-containing products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use, and they may be labeled as “hemp products.” Claims that these products have medical or therapeutic benefits have not been evaluated by the FDA and may not be based on scientific research.

More information about teen and adult cannabis and other substance use can be found here, and in my upcoming book, Addiction: What Everyone Needs to Know.