Researchers are assessing the addiction potential and susceptibility to abuse of delta-8-THC

Researchers are assessing the addiction potential and susceptibility to abuse of delta-8-THC

One is an illegal drug found in marijuana, while the other is marketed as a safe herbal alternative. But the claimed differences between them are not supported by science, a group of UConn researchers report Nov. 1 in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the psychoactive compound produced by cannabis plants. The federal government lists Δ9-THC (pronounced delta-9-THC) on the Schedule 1 list of dangerous drugs with no accepted medical use. But other versions of THC that differ only by the position of a double bond, such as Δ8-THC, remain quietly quasi-legal at the federal level.

The differences in legality between different versions of THC cause conflict between the hemp and cannabis industries. There is also a risk of harm to consumers. Although Δ8-THC is considered a hemp herbal extract, many manufacturers use solvents and chemical processes that can leave harmful residues in the product, and there are no standards for purity or safety.

Because there are no limits, some products contain ridiculously high amounts of ∆8 and other THC variants that could potentially cause harm based on sheer dosage. And states disagree about its safety or legality. Some states, such as Connecticut, have controlled Δ8-THC as well as Δ9-THC, while in others it remains legal. Cannabis producers claim the distinction creates unfair competition between the hemp and marijuana markets.

If the regulation of Δ9-THC as an illicit drug is based on the fact that it has physical and psychoactive effects, then the first step to rationally regulate Δ8-THC would be to check whether it also has these effects. And people who have experience with both say this is the case. Most agree that the effects of Δ8 are similar to those of Δ9.

Steve Kinsey, a professor at the UConn School of Nursing and director of the Center for Advancement in Managing Pain, graduate student Olivia Vanegas and their colleagues at UConn Chemistry and local startup 3BC Inc decided to test this on mice. Research conducted in Japan in the 1980s had shown that Δ8-THC produced the same effects as Δ9-THC in mice. Kinsey and Vanegas reproduced this work and found it to be true: The mice given Δ8 became lethargic, their body temperature dropped, and they became cataleptic, which meant the researchers could place the mice in unusual positions where they remained for several seconds, which is common in THC-treated mice but not in normal mice.

Then the researchers went a step further and blocked the mice's THC receptors. Blocked mice did not respond to Δ8-THC, demonstrating that Δ8 interacts with the same receptors as Δ9-THC.

The researchers then took a group of mice and gave them Δ8-THC twice a day for five days. Over time, the mice became desensitized to it. And when they were given the THC blocker, the mice behaved as if they were in withdrawal.

Finally, RTI International employees conducted an experiment in which they “asked” the mice what the drug felt like. First, they trained the mice to go to a specific location for a reward when given Δ9-THC. After training, mice were administered Δ8-THC. Not surprisingly, they achieved the same reward point as when given Δ9.

So they’re telling us the same thing people who buy the stuff at gas stations tell us: Δ8 feels like THC.”

Steve Kinsey, Professor, UConn School of Nursing

From a chemical point of view it is not surprising. Molecules as similar as Δ8- and Δ9-THC usually (though not always) act the same way in the body. But legally it causes many complications.

The distinction between Δ8- and Δ9- originally arose from Congress's Farm Bill, which covers hemp cultivation and sales. Hemp is defined as a cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% Δ9-THC by dry weight. Anything that contains a higher concentration of Δ9-THC is considered marijuana. Additionally, the Farm Bill states that everything else that occurs naturally in the hemp plant is legal. This also includes Δ8-THC.

“There is a battle between marijuana and hemp growers,” said John Harloe, an attorney with the THC task force in Colorado. Products classified as marijuana “must be sold through dispensaries and pay high taxes, while hemp producers can sell essentially the same product but without the same regulations because of the ambiguity in the Farm Bill,” Harloe says.

Harloe brings Kinsey and Vanegas' paper to the Colorado task force to inform the discussion. The task force seeks to create appropriate regulations that take into account the different chemical variations of THC and ensure public safety without weakening the hemp industry. The paper is particularly valuable because there is so little research on THC and its intoxicating effects due to federal regulations.

“Every bit of science will be influential,” says Harloe.

Source:

University of Connecticut

Reference:

Vanegas, SO, et al. (2022) Assessment of the addictive potential and abuse susceptibility of Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol in mice. Drug and alcohol addiction. doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109640.

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