The History of Delta 8 THC

Over the past few years, as laws refraining people from partaking in marijuana based products have become almost obsolete, there has been an ongoing debate. This classic debate is Delta 8 vs Delta 9 THC and which one is the best of the two. A lot of people understandably settle on delta 8 as their favorite choice, due to the vast amount of positive side effects and health benefits in comparison to the negative side effects that can come with inhaling delta 9 THC.

Delta 8 has only grown in popularity in the last couple of years and lots of people are now integrating delta 8 THC into their daily routine. Though it may feel like it, delta 8 didn’t just appear overnight. In fact, delta 8 has undergone decades worth of research before it hit the market in the form of Delta 8 cartridges.

So, what really is delta 8 THC and where did it come from?

Where did Delta-8 THC come from?

If you are someone who is familiar with the world of marijuana, then you will have at least some idea of what THC is. THC naturally occurs in the marijuana plant, but THC isn’t just a single component. In fact, THC can be broken up into four structures, all of which start with THCA.

Delta 8 can already be found in the marijuana plant in trace amounts. However, this doesn’t mean that we are limited to what can be originally found in a marijauna plant. In fact, more delta 8 THC can be produced as a product of the process of oxidation. This occurs when delta-9 THC is exposed to oxygen over a period of time. For people who don’t really understand the science behind it but you are familiar with the marijuana smoking process, you may notice that marijuana that is left exposed to oxygen creates a weaker ‘high’. This is because the delta 9 THC which creates the strong high feeling is converted into delta 8, which creates a much less powerful ‘high feeling’.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what delta 9 THC is, you may be wondering how we came to learn about it and what the discovered effects of THC are?

Research into THC

For some time, scientists have understood that THC is actually made up of four different strains. These strains are THCA, THCV, delta 9 and delta 8. Scientists were able to differentiate between the two because of their structures and the way that they interact with the receptors. However, due to strict rules surrounding the laws of drug use, very little was known about how each drug makes a person act or the effects that it can have on your body.

This was until 1974, when scientists decided to test what the effects of delta 8, delta 9 and CBD would have on mice. The initial intention of the research was to try and prove that THC actually harmed the immune system, which of course they found to be incorrect. Instead, they discovered that delta 8 THC had the ability to minimize and kill cancer cells, which is something that they never expected to find. After this discovery, it was decided that they would do further research into delta 8.

In 1975, the research into how delta 8 work was continued, but on rats instead of mice. The basis of the research was to test just how powerful delta 8 really was and as a product of this, it was discovered that delta 8 THC actually had the capability to shrink tumors. This research continued over a period of ten days with varying quantities of each THC structure, out of the four it was discovered that delta 8 THC and delta 9 THC had the most effects on the tumor.

Due to this discovery, a lot of the dangerous stigma that was associated with delta-8 THC dissipated and scientists wanted to do further research to discover the other ways in which delta 8 THC may be beneficial for humans.

1995 nausea experiment

In 1995, a doctor called Dr. Raphael Mechoulam decided to try to administer delta 8 THC as a cure for nausea. The delta 8 was specifically administered to children who had nausea because of extensive chemotherapy. During this research, it was noted that there was an 100% success rate in the delta 8 combatting nausea, which is rarely found in the world of medicine. This also suggested that delta 8 would be helpful in treating a number of other similar illnesses that lead to nausea after treatment.

Appetite

In 2004, there was additional research into whether or not delta 8 THC could help combat issues such as lack of appetite which can be a symptom of a number of illnesses. This study was conducted on mice and it was discovered that giving them delta-8 THC actually vastly increased their appetite, even more so that delta-9 THC. When they had previously tested delta 9 THC on the mice, they had discovered that the mice developed feelings of anxiety. However, when they tested it with delta 8 THC, they discovered that this anxiety was lessened. Because of this research, scientists began to produce products including delta 8 which promised to lessen general anxiety. If you pick up a guide to vaping with Delta 8, the first benefit that will be advertised to use is a decrease of anxiety and this was discovered due to these mice experiments.

Everyday, more and more research goes into discovering the benefits of application of delta 8, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any updates.