A Crowdsourcing Survey Study on the Subjective Effects of Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol Relative to Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol

Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 8-THC) has emerged as a new retail cannabinoid product in the U.S. This study queried Delta 8-THC users about product use characteristics and self-reported drug effects. Participants were recruited via a large online crowdsourcing platform (Amazon Mechanical Turk). Adults (N = 252) with past year Delta 8-THC use (35% with at least weekly use) completed surveys and open-ended questions related to their reasons for using and past experiences with Delta 8-THC-containing retail products. Participants with past year use of Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 9-THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD; 81% and 63%) compared the effects of Delta 8-THC to those of Delta 9-THC and/or CBD by rating drug effects on a visual analog scale from -50 to +50 where negative scores indicated Delta 8-THC effects are weaker, positive scores indicated Delta 8-THC effects are stronger, and a score of 0 indicated equal effects to Delta 9-THC or CBD. Compared to Delta 9-THC, self-reported ratings for Drug effect, Bad effect, Sick, Anxiety, Paranoia, Irritability, Restlessness, Memory Problems, and Trouble Performing Routine Tasks were lower for Delta 8-THC (d = -0.21 to -0.44). Compared to CBD, ratings for Delta 8-THC effects were higher for Drug effect, Good effect, High, Relaxed, Sleepy, Hunger/Have the Munchies, Memory Problems, Trouble Performing Routine Tasks, and Paranoia (d = 0.27-1.02). Qualitative responses indicated that participants used Delta 8-THC because it is perceived as (a) legal, (b) a substitute or similar to Delta 9-THC, and/or (c) less intense than Delta 9-THC. Delta 8-THC is an understudied psychoactive component of cannabis that shares more characteristics with Delta 9-THC than CBD and should be characterized further with human laboratory studies. Public Health Significance Recreational use of Delta 8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 8-THC) is becoming increasingly common. Qualitative and quantitative data from our survey study indicates that Delta 8-THC is widely being used as a substitute for Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 9-THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, and is perceived as less intoxicating than Delta 9-THC. Human laboratory studies are needed to determine basic pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and cognitive effects of Delta 8-THC.

Automated summary

Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 8-THC) is a new retail cannabinoid product in the U.S. This study investigated the characteristics and effects of Delta 8-THC use. Participants reported that Delta 8-THC had weaker effects than Delta 9-THC and stronger effects than CBD. Users cited reasons for Delta 8-THC use including its legal status, similarity to Delta 9-THC, and milder effects. Human laboratory studies are needed to further understand the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and cognitive effects of Delta 8-THC.