COLOMBIA, SC (WCSC) – A popular type of CBD product that can give users a marijuana-like feel is emerging in South Carolina and the rest of the country.
Delta 8 promises to help you relax, improve your appetite and relieve nausea, but it can also mimic to a lesser extent the psychotropic effects of marijuana.
“It was a revival for our industry and for our business. People are going crazy over it, ”says Michael Sims, co-owner of Charlotte CBD.
Both Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC are found in a hemp plant. Delta 9 THC is most commonly found in marijuana and is a controlled substance in South Carolina.
The Vice President of Research at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, calls Delta 8 the “small cousin” of Delta 9. Nargarkatti said that while Delta 9 is most commonly found in a marijuana plant or cannabis, Delta 8 is also one of more than 120 cannabinoids in the plant.
“The cat is out of the bag anyway. Delta 9 and 8 THC are not too far apart in terms of health effects, side effects, whatever, they are right there, with each other, ”said Sims. “We are already in legalization. Is happening.”
Delta 8 is legally sold in the state under the Farm Bill 2018. These are just a few different atomic bonds than Delta 9, according to Nargarkatti and Sims.
Sims said Delta 8 has become a big part of his business, which he says is now expanding and hiring more employees. He says it is especially popular in states where marijuana is not legal.
But he says there have been reports of police officers seizing rough forms of the plant or asking stores to sell the plant to customers.
“It takes a lot of knowledge to really get to know these products, to know how they are formed, how they are grown and how they are processed,” says Sims. “So, I think we need at least a guardian or some kind of regulatory system to make sure people are doing best practices for people’s health and for the economy.”
Senator Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, is sponsoring a medical marijuana bill that is due to be presented to a Senate committee in a few weeks.
Davis says that because there is a huge demand for cannabis and marijuana products, he wants to pass a bill that will regulate all of those products.
“Regulations are totally inadequate now,” said Davis of the marijuana and CBD industry. “It is up to us, at the General Assembly, to find a way for our citizens to have safe and legal access to this product. Forcing them to enter the black market, forcing them to go out into the street to get something that can be tampered with because they don’t know what’s inside. This is not responsible, ”added Davis.
Davis said the main opposition and concerns he has around the medical marijuana bill come from law enforcement.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division did not comment on Delta 8. But in previous interviews, SLED chief Mark Keel defended further research, FDA regulations, and noted that it is difficult for law enforcement officers to distinguish among marijuana products.
Sims also said that edible products are technically regulated by the FDA, but he says that in his experience, products are rarely tested and the rules around CBD and Delta 8 are not always enforced.
Sims says people should do their research on any company before buying Delta 8 products and contact their doctor before using it.
Delta 8 THC can also make a user fail a drug test, says Sims.
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