Delta 8 THC and delta 9 THC are the two most well-known psychoactive cannabinoids found in hemp. Molecularly speaking, they’re part of the same family.
Other than their molecular disparity, the differences between delta 8 and delta 9 can be divided into four distinct categories: the science, the effects, the dosage level, and the legality.
Let’s compare delta 8 and delta 9 THC and break down their differences using the information available today.
Delta 8 vs Delta 9: The Scientific Data
Currently, substantially more scientific data exists on delta 9 THC than delta 8. While delta 9 has been consistently studied since the sixties, scientific inquiry into delta 8 THC only began a few years ago. As of 2023, there were over 4,000 published studies on delta 9 THC, versus just a few hundred in existence for delta 8.
Because there’s a little more scientific data that indicates certain consistent results, delta 9 THC may be specifically dosed to achieve various effects. For example, you can microdose 10mg of indica per day to help with anxiety, but chemotherapy patients will require a higher amount to combat nausea and appetite loss. These measurements have been meticulously researched and can be fine-tuned down to the milligram to achieve the best results.
But with delta 8, there’s much less information to go by to indicate which doses work best for which therapeutic benefits. Not to mention, there’s a lack of empirical data to substantiate palpable therapeutic benefits of delta 8 to begin with.
Whereas delta 9 THC has been put through the wringer in extensive trials for pain, epilepsy, and much more, all we have now to go by with delta 8 is anecdotal, mostly in the form of published scientific surveys and user testimonials.
Effects: Is delta 8 more mild than delta 9?
Delta 9 THC’s effects on the human system are well-documented and have been for over half a century. The most pronounced effects known to most are euphoria, dry mouth, red eyes, paranoia, pain relief, nausea relief, and improved sleep health.
For anxiety, specifically, delta 9 THC’s effects may be more nuanced, depending heavily on dosage. At lower doses, delta 9 has been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety. Higher doses can actually produce symptoms of anxiety to the point of paranoia and panic.
As far as scientific evidence is concerned, we have little to go by to qualify any of the purported effects of delta 8 THC. However, most users agree that the psychoactive effects are less prominent than delta 9, earning delta 8 the moniker of delta 9’s ‘nicer younger sibling’ in this scientific review that surveyed delta 8 users. Here are the results of that survey that indicate what most users experience when using delta 8 and why they choose it:
Delta 8 THC Effects:
- 71% of users reported potent relaxation
- 68% reported euphoria, aka a high
- 55% reported pain relief
Why Delta 8 THC?
- 74% did not experience any anxiety
- 83% did not experience any paranoia
- 57% reported using delta 8 in place of delta 9
- 59% reporting using delta 8 in place of pharmaceutical drugs
While the effects of delta 8 THC documented here are not shocking, the other findings are more impactful, as they provide a strong indication of why people choose delta 8 in the first place.
The answer is to replace delta 9 and prescription drugs.
With 74% reporting zero anxiety and a whopping 83% claiming zero paranoia, it’s easy to see why many anxiety-inclined people make the switch from delta 9 to delta 8. And statistically, over half the people were using delta 8 to treat some kind of issue for which they wanted to avoid delta 9 and prescriptions as solutions.
Dosage
Because delta 8’s psychotropic properties are less pronounced, it’s incorporated into cannabis products at much higher concentrations than delta 9. Recall that delta 8 THC isn’t federally regulated in hemp like delta 9 THC, meaning there’s no limit to how far these legal products can take the dosage level.
For the sake of comparison, a microdose of delta 9 THC falls somewhere between 1 and 5 mg per serving. A microdose of delta 8 THC may technically fall in the same range, but at this level, you’re unlikely to experience results. A more adjusted, realistic microdose scenario for delta 8 THC to account for the mellower effects would be more like 10-20 mg per serving.
Dosage is pretty different to feel the psychedelic impact of delta 8 vs delta 9. A solid dose of delta 9 THC will be upwards of 15mg, while there are plenty of legal delta 8 products that include hundreds of milligrams per serving.
Legality
Legality around delta 9 THC is relatively straightforward. Unless it’s being sold in a medicinal or recreational marijuana dispensary where state laws provide, delta 9 THC is only legal in amounts of 0.3% or less by dry weight.
Delta 8 THC, on the other hand, has been mired in legal controversy in recent years. Many states have decided to restrict delta 8 sales or ban the cannabinoid altogether for sale and consumption.
The legality around delta 8 THC is ever-changing as lawmakers and hemp producers battle it out across the states. As of writing, delta 8 THC is illegal in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.
Recap: Delta 8 vs Delta 9 and Why It Matters
Delta 8 and delta 9 THC are part of the same cannabinoid family, both of which produce psychoactive effects, anti-inflammatory action, and pain relief. However, there are thousands more published studies on the effects of delta 9, whereas this number for delta 8 is in the mere hundreds and largely consists of anecdotal evidence.
Delta 8 and delta 9 both produce a high, but the high from the former is milder. Both are used to treat pain and anxiety. But delta 9 THC’s effects are wider-reaching, with well-documented use cases in the treatment of many diseases and disorders.
Interestingly, most people who use delta 8 are doing so in lieu of delta 9, which suggests that many feel the benefit of a milder high with much less chance of anxiety or paranoia.
Generally speaking, delta 8 THC is taken in higher doses than delta 9 THC, especially when euphoria is the desired effect.
If you want to use delta 8 and delta 9 THC legally, where you live matters. While delta 9 THC can be purchased in legalized states or under the 0.3% threshold in federally legal hemp products, delta 8 has been outright banned in over a dozen states.