Delta-8-and Delta-9-THC Use Frequency, Use Motives, and Mental Health Outcomes

Use of delta-8-THC (delta-8) has proliferated after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Yet, research on the mental health effects of this increasingly popular cannabinoid is scant. The current study sought to examine mental health correlates of delta-8 use frequency and motives, investigate whether delta-8 use motives predict use frequency, and compare use motives and problems between delta-8 and traditional cannabis. Participants consisted of 363 self-reported delta-8 users who completed measures of delta-8 use frequency, motives, and problems that were adapted from comparable measures for cannabis, as well as measures of mental health outcomes. Delta-8 use frequency was unrelated to use problems and other mental health outcomes. Delta-8 use frequency was positively associated with social and coping motives, but negatively associated with enhancement and conformity motives. Coping and conformity motives were associated with greater depression, anxiety, insomnia, and delta-8 use problems. Participants were more likely to report coping and enhancement motives for delta-8 use compared to cannabis use, but less likely to report conformity motives. Further longitudinal research is needed to assess causality for associations between delta-8 use frequency, use motives, and mental health outcomes.

Automated summary

The use of delta-8-THC (delta-8) has become popular after the 2018 Farm Bill, but there is limited research on its mental health effects. This study examined the relationship between delta-8 use frequency and motives with mental health outcomes. The findings showed that delta-8 use frequency was not associated with mental health problems, but was related to social and coping motives. Coping and conformity motives were associated with greater mental health problems. Delta-8 users were more likely to report coping and enhancement motives compared to traditional cannabis users, but less likely to report conformity motives. More longitudinal research is needed to determine the causal relationships between delta-8 use frequency, motives, and mental health outcomes.