The common answer to this question is “No.” The less common answer is “It depends.” But the correct answer is “Yes, but only under very specific circumstances.”
Delta-9 is currently legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. In these places, you can buy Delta-9 legally if you have a doctor’s recommendation (in some states) or if you’re over 21. Federal law says Delta 9 is illegal, but it’s also illegal for the federal government to enforce federal law in states that have legalized Delta-9. This has been the case since December 2014, when Congress passed a rider on an appropriations bill that said:
None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used… to prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.
So it’s legal in those 23 states, but only for medical use. But even that was not always true. In 1996 California became the first state to legalize medical Delta-9. But they didn’t legalize recreational Delta-9 until 2016.
Delta-9 is legal in the United States, and it’s legal in countries like the Netherlands and Germany. But it’s not legal in the UK, Spain or Canada.
In the United States, Delta-9 is legal if it’s used for medical purposes. For example, Delta-9 is used to treat cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. It can also be used as a pain reliever for people who have chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia.
In Europe, Delta-9 is legal in some countries but not others. In the UK, for example, Delta-9 is legal for medical purposes but not for recreational use. It’s also legal in Germany and Spain for medical purposes, but not recreational use. In Canada, Delta-9 is legal if it’s prescribed by a doctor or other healthcare professional with special authorization from Health Canada.
Delta-9 is one of the most controversial drugs on the market today because of its potential benefits and risks. Some people believe that cannabis should be legalized because they think it will help reduce crime rates and lead to less drug abuse overall. Others think that marijuana should remain illegal because they believe it poses a danger to society by causing addiction and other health problems such as lung cancer.”
Delta-9 is a 100% safe and legal essential oil that has been used for thousands of years. It’s derived from the hemp plant — which is different from the marijuana plant — and in fact contains less than 0.3% THC.
The hemp plant is the same species as marijuana, but the two plants are very different. The marijuana plant evolved in Central Asia for use as a psychoactive drug and therefore contains high levels of THC (the chemical that produces a “high”). Hemp on the other hand was used for industrial purposes (clothes, rope, food) so it was bred to be low in THC and high in CBD (the chemical that has medicinal benefits).
The production of Delta-9 begins with the growth of the cannabis sativa plant. After being harvested by hand, each plant is dried and processed to remove all traces of THC (the psychoactive element). Following this process, we extract the CBD and then dilute with “carrier” oils — fractionated coconut oil or MCT oil which is derived from coconut oil — to produce Delta-9.
Delta-9 THC Products from Hemp Are a Risk Not Worth Taking
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that hemp seed oil is safe as a food ingredient and can be lawfully used in human food. FDA also says CBD is not a lawful food additive or a dietary supplement ingredient in its current unapproved form.
In a recent press release FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said: “Under the new law, certain hemp production will be allowed, pending USDA approval of state plans.” He went on to say: “This is a pretty big sea change. But it does not mean that all products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds are in compliance with the law.”
“We want Texans to know that it is important to carefully check labels and verify what they are buying,” said TXHIA Executive Director Troy Potter. “There are lots of legitimate uses for industrial hemp, but ingesting delta-9 THC is not one of them.”
Over the past two years, the market for hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) has exploded with hundreds of companies producing and selling CBD products. The U.S. hemp industry has grown from $688 million in sales in 2016 to an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion in 2018, 1 and it may grow to $22 billion by 2022.2
Conclusion
With such rapid growth, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is concerned that some producers and marketers of hemp-derived Delta-9 THC products have exploited a regulatory loophole to deliberately or inadvertently create products that contain more than the legal limit of 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC—the psychoactive form of THC—by weight on a dry weight basis, which could put consumers at risk. The DEA also is concerned that many of these products are sold by companies that do not test their products’ Delta-9 THC levels using validated scientific methods and do not provide adequate warnings about the potential hazards of consuming their products, including the risk of failing drug tests or experiencing the intoxicating effects of Delta-9 THC.
You’ve probably heard of Delta-9 THC. All you need to know is that it’s the stuff in marijuana that gets you high.
You may not have heard of Delta-8 THC, but it’s the same chemical as what we just discussed. The only difference is that it has a double bond on the 8th carbon chain rather than the 9th, which makes it less potent.
Delta-8 and Delta-9 can both be derived from hemp, but one is much more prevalent than the other.
In fact, Delta-8 is a very rare cannabinoid that occurs in such small quantities that it’s nearly impossible to extract in significant amounts from the cannabis plant itself.