Thanks to a US farm bill, hemp-derived cannabinoids are legal in most States, even if that cannabinoid has some level of psychoactive effect. That fact alone has made delta-8 products the hottest thing in the cannabis/hemp market right now. People have discovered that you can get some form of “high” legally even in States that still outlaw delta-9 THC just by purchasing delta-8 products from their local vape or smoke shop.

But without getting into all of the fine details of what delta-8 is, how you can buy it and consume it, I want to explain why I am NOT on the delta-8 fan train right now.

The biggest reason I am NOT going to be running out and buying up a bunch of delta-8 edibles or vapes or flower is that delta-8 has to go through a synthetic chemical process in order for the cannabinoid to be converted into something that can have a psychoactive effect on someone. In other words, it does not occur naturally in the hemp plant prior to its synthetic conversion. This means someone cannot just go pick up some hemp flower and smoke it and get elevated from delta-8 THC. It has to be pulled out through a process.

In contrast, the cannabis plant or marijuana plant has delta-9 THC already present in the plant. You do not have to put it through a chemical process to draw it out or produce it. You can smoke that cannabis/marijuana flower straight from the plant. Nothing is added. It’s the purest form of natural medicine.

So to me, delta-8 takes away from one of the biggest reasons people are turning to cannabis in the first place, which is to heal the body in the most natural way possible and free from any form of synthetic pill or pharmaceutical. I believe in the natural power of cannabis. I don’t believe as much in the natural power of hemp-derived delta-8, mainly because it is not natural. Anytime a chemical has to be added in order to convert a compound from one thing to another, that is no longer a natural process in my book.

So this is why I am trying to shy away from the hype surrounding delta-8 THC. Yes you can get “high” from delta-8. But for those of us who look at the cannabis plant as a source of powerful healing, getting “high” is just a byproduct of its use. Cannabis is God’s gift to us for natural medicine and in its purest, native form. There are virtually no studies into any medical benefits of delta-8 nor has enough time gone by to be able to observe real health benefits.

I can tell you that the few times I tried it, it offered no benefit for the stomach issues I live with. In fact, I felt at times it worsened my condition versus delta-9 that has all but cured my nightly stomach troubles. So I am skeptical at best right now when it comes to delta-8. I need to hear from more real people who can tell me of the medical benefits they are receiving from its use. Until then…delta-9 THC for me.