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Delta-8 vs Delta-9: What's the Difference?

Blue Ribbon Hemp

Is THC Legal Federally?

Not quite. There are federally legal CBD products available that contain .3% THC or less in accordance to the 2018 Farm Bill. However, when a cannabis product has more THC in it, the legality is going to vary from state to state.

Are you lucky enough to live in a state that’s legalized medical or recreational marijuana? If yes, then this article is for you! THC has so many potential healing properties to offer, and now consumers can choose from 2 different types of the cannabinoid.

What are the differences between delta-8 vs delta-9 THC? Read on to find out!

What Is Delta-9 THC?

Let’s begin by going into what delta-9 THC is all about. When you hear people talking about using cannabis and experiencing some type of high, it’s all thanks to delta-9 THC.

You can think of delta-9 THC as the famous cannabinoid of the cannabis family. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, and it’s a chemical compound found in cannabis plants containing possibly psychoactive properties.

Delta-9 THC is one of the most prominent cannabinoids, and it has a direct impact on how a strain affects its user. By binding to your endocannabinoid receptors, delta-9 THC could temporarily alter the way you perceive reality. Your endocannabinoid system helps your body function at full capacity and maintain homeostasis. Immune system responses and stress reactions occur thanks to messages that are being sent by your CB1 and CB2 receptors to and from the brain.

How Delta-9 Feels

When Delta-9 THC binds to your CB1 and CB2 receptors, your brain begins to perceive sensations differently. For instance, colors could seem more meaningful, and listening to music could feel like getting a massage. Delta-9 THC can also directly impact your mood.

For most people, using delta-9 helps them enjoy feelings of euphoria. Waves of spontaneous joy can wash over you, and there doesn’t even have to be a direct reason for the happy feelings. Instead, you simply feel one with life, and comfortable in your body.

Of course, to have a positive delta-9 THC experience you have to make sure you take the right dose. If you’re new to cannabis, taking too much THC can cause negative effects. The intensity of the high can become overwhelming, and anxiety and fear can start to creep in.

To avoid having a bad experience, we suggest finding a cannabis product with lower levels of delta-9 THC, especially if you’re just starting. Thanks to the booming cannabis market, you can find a wide range of potency levels. Mid-range THC products usually have about 5-10% THC, however, you can find products with 15%, 20%, and even higher!

By sticking with a 5% THC product, you’ll be able to gauge how cannabis interacts with your body. If you like the feeling you’re experiencing, up the potency level for the next strain you buy. If you like the way delta-9 THC makes you feel, but you want a milder experience, then you should check out delta-8 THC.

What Is Delta-8 THC?

Next, on our list of delta-8 vs delta-9 features, let’s look at how delta-8 influences your body. Similar to delta-9, delta-8 is also a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants. The chemical structure of delta-8 only varies slightly from the chemical structure of delta-9 THC. However, that small variation is enough to completely alter the way delta-8 THC interacts with your body.

What are the top delta-8 benefits? Easing stress and uplifting your mood. After using a delta-8 product, you’re likely to feel relaxed, and maybe even a little bit giggly. If you use enough, you’ll experience a high. However, your perception of reality should stay pretty much the same. Instead of feeling intoxicated, you’ll simply feel “better.”

We find that delta-8 can be the perfect choice when you’re using cannabis as a sleep aid. Delta-8 products can be recreational, however, they’re usually not intense enough to make you want to pull an all-nighter.

Instead, after a few puffs of your favorite delta-8 product, or eating a delta-8 infused edible, you’ll find sleep is easier to achieve. Since your mind isn’t all wrapped up, stressing out about the day, you can jump into a sleep window the minute it opens.

Delta-8 vs Delta-9 Products

Finally, let’s go over the different ways you can use delta-8 or delta-9 THC. Here’s a shortlist of some of our favorite products:

  • Vape pens
  • Distillate and oils
  • Topicals
  • Flower
  • Edibles

After you pick the right product for you, you’ll first need to decide whether you want to use delta-8 or delta-9. Since delta-9 THC products are going to deliver an “intensified” cannabis experience, vape pens and flower are a great place to start. When you use a vape or smoke a bowl of flower, the effects of delta-9 THC hit you almost immediately.

Alternatively, inhaling delta-9 THC, also means you’ll have the shortest timeline for feeling the effects. After taking a puff, you’ll be able to gauge how you feel quickly. If you don’t love this sensation, stop puffing, and simply ride it out. You can even try using CBD to help bring you down from your high. On the other hand, eating edibles or ingesting CBD oils, don’t offer exactly the same escape.

Tips for Taking Edibles

Eating THC products is one of the best ways to enjoy a potentially all-day high. When you take THC orally, it takes the longest for the effects to kick in. However, once you start feeling high, it can last for hours! However, if you don’t like the way you feel once the edible starts to kick in, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.

Instead, you’ll simply have to wait it out as your body returns to a state of normal. The choice between edibles, oils, and flower, is a personal one. If you’re experienced using cannabis, then you could enjoy a blend of each product, depending on what type of day you’re having. However, if you’re new to the cannabis world, we suggest picking one product and testing it out before moving on to the next.

Have a Great Cannabis Experience

Congratulations! Now that you know the differences between delta-8 vs delta-9 THC, you can finally find the right product for you! Go ahead and look for a reputable supplier today who can provide you with a variety of product options.

When you can choose between vape pens and flower, you can customize your cannabis experience like never before. Are you ready for more advice? Explore the rest of this site.