{"id":1260,"date":"2021-09-22T21:03:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T21:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=178377"},"modified":"2021-09-22T21:03:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T21:03:12","slug":"delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1260","title":{"rendered":"Delta-8 THC poisonings? The CDC\u2019s warning isn\u2019t what you think"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Delta-8 THC poisonings? The CDC\u2019s warning isn\u2019t what you think &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.2 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<h4 id=\"h-the-haymaker-is-leafly-senior-editor-bruce-barcott-s-opinion-column-about-cannabis-politics-and-culture\"><em>The Haymaker is Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott\u2019s opinion column about cannabis politics and culture.<\/em><\/h4>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Headlines alarmed the cannabis world last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued <a href=\"https:\/\/emergency.cdc.gov\/han\/2021\/han00451.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a health alert<\/a> about the risks of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/what-is-delta8-thc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delta-8 THC<\/a>, the hemp-derived cannabinoid that\u2019s become all the rage in non-legal states. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img alt=\"haymaker-column-logo\" class=\"wp-image-172448 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"327\" height=\"153\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.png,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.png,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.png,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.png,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>CDC officials noted that US poison control centers recorded 119 cases of \u201cdelta-8 exposures\u201d that resulted in hospitalization in just the first six months of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s troubling.<\/p>\n<p>Leafly has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/strains-products\/we-tried-delta-8-thc-with-moonwlkr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/how-long-will-delta-8-remain-legal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">extensively<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/what-is-delta8-thc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delta-8<\/a> phenomenon and on the many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/health\/is-delta-8-thc-safe-heres-what-the-experts-say\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">real risks<\/a> that come from consuming an unregulated and often untested product. So I took a dive into the CDC\u2019s data to see if the alarm matched the evidence.<\/p>\n<p>It did not.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-exposures-led-to-symptoms\">\u2018Exposures\u2019 led to \u2018symptoms\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s what the CDC led with:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn March 2021, the West Virginia Poison Control Center&nbsp;reported two cases of adverse events related to use of delta-8 THC products in adults. In both instances, individuals mistook the products containing delta-8 THC for CBD-like products. These exposures led to symptoms consistent with cannabis intoxication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, two adults in West Virginia consumed delta-8 products under the mistaken assumption that they were taking CBD. Result: They got high.<\/p>\n<p>When people get high when they aren\u2019t expecting it, some of them naturally freak out. They don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening. Some become frightened. So they take the next logical step. They call the local poison control center or check into the nearest emergency room\u2014even though what\u2019s happening to them may be the same experience that many cannabis consumers actually seek. <\/p>\n<p>The CDC\u2019s warning is framed with frightening language\u2014poison control centers, hospitals, exposures, symptoms. But \u201cexposures led to symptoms consistent with cannabis intoxication\u201d means those people got high. Nothing more.<\/p>\n<p>Now, those patients may not have wanted to get high. Or maybe they got higher than they expected, freaked out, and called for help. But those are not poisonings. Those are instances of poor labeling or consumer inexperience.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/strains-products\/i-tried-delta-8-thc-heres-what-it-feels-like\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>I tried delta-8 THC: Here\u2019s what it feels like<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-delta-8-rises-in-prohibition-states\">Delta-8 rises in prohibition states<\/h2>\n<p>CDC officials noted that the two first recorded delta-8 \u201cexposures\u201d trickled in around Sept. 2020, gradually increasing to 48 in the month of July 2021. \u201cThe majority of these visits (73%),\u201d occurred in the \u201cSouthern states that have not passed state laws to allow non-medical adult cannabis use.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>Most of the \u2018exposures\u2019 were reported in the South, where cannabis prohibition remains the law of the land.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Of course they did. Delta-8 THC products exist primarily because there is a demand for cannabis in prohibition states. If cannabis were legal in the South, consumers could choose from thousands of licensed, lab-tested, and well-labeled delta-9 THC products. But they can\u2019t, so unregulated delta-8 products entered through a legal back door.<\/p>\n<p>In those Southern states, delta-8 THC products are sometimes labeled and sold as \u201cdelta-8 CBD.\u201d That wink-and-nod strategy may keep shop owners out of trouble with local cops, but it confuses consumers who don\u2019t expect the intoxicating high delivered by delta-8.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-this-is-a-parenting-problem\">This is a parenting problem<\/h2>\n<p>The most troubling aspect of the CDC\u2019s warning isn\u2019t the adults who get unexpectedly high. It\u2019s the kids. Earlier this year the <a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/5f777ef4c9213f4b5800fc9a\/t\/60832a49de02a46cdbd3a25d\/1619208777303\/Delta-8+THC+PSA+final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michigan Poison Center<\/a> reported a case of two children ingesting their father\u2019s delta-8 THC gummies, which he purchased at a vape shop. \u201cThe children developed sedation, slowed breathing, low blood pressure and slowed heart rate, requiring admission to the intensive care unit,\u201d the Center reported.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t know the details of that particular incident. The father may have thought his gummies were loaded with CBD, nothing more. Either way, if kids are getting into a parent\u2019s stash, that\u2019s on the parents, not the stash. If your gummies are infused with anything other than sugar, don\u2019t be stupid. Keep them out of reach of children.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-byproduct-of-prohibition\">A byproduct of prohibition<\/h2>\n<p>At the end of the day, what we have here is a rising trend of consumers in non-legal states trying delta-8 THC products. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>The solution isn\u2019t to raise a panic about delta-8. The solution is to legalize and regulate. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Some of them buy products mislabeled as \u201cdelta-8 CBD\u201d and find themselves unexpectedly high. Others take too much and need help riding out an experience of overintoxication. And a few parents carelessly leave their infused gummies lying around where the kids can get their hands on what they think is candy.<\/p>\n<p>The solution isn\u2019t to raise a panic about delta-8 THC. The solution is to legalize and regulate cannabis products in every state, so that consumers have access to licensed, regulated, tested, and properly labeled products. And nobody has to sneak around pretending a THC-infused gummy contains nothing more than CBD.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>Get educated about delta-8 THC<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.jpg\" alt=\"Bruce Barcott's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Bruce Barcott<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/bruce-barcott\">View Bruce Barcott&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-09-22 14:03:26 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delta-8 THC poisonings? The CDC\u2019s warning isn\u2019t what you think &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Haymaker is Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott\u2019s opinion column about cannabis politics and culture. Headlines alarmed the cannabis world last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert about the risks of delta-8 THC,&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/delta-8-thc-poisonings-the-cdcs-warning-isnt-what-you-think.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}