A deal to end the 41-day government shutdown is running into turbulence, thanks to a single Senate objection: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Senate Republican and Democratic leaders say they need to resolve Paul’s objection to a provision in the government funding package before they can accelerate consideration of the bill. The provision would restrict the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based products.
There seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread about hemp derived THC and delta-8 THC. Delta-8 THC is an unregulated cannabinoid that can be made by converting CBD through a chemical process. But hemp also contains Delta-9 THC, which is the same thing that would come in the recreational or medical cannabis you’d get in a legal state. The limitation is that the products are only allowed to contain up to 0.3% Delta-9 THC by volume. The funny workaround here is that products like edibles and drinks can easily still contain a recreational dose of Delta-9 THC while staying well below 0.3% THC by volume. This has created a legal market for THC products and I’ve actually really enjoyed it, living in a state that still does not have any form of medical or recreational cannabis available.
So I’m less familiar with Delta 9 THC, but my understanding is that both Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC are able to be derived/extracted from hemp. If I’m understanding you correctly, it’s a different process for each, but the end result is still that we get one and/or the other.
Additionally both of them have the same restrictions as you mentioned, being less then 0.3% THC by volume, which makes them excellent candidates for edibles and beverages.
I think Delta 9 THC is closer to “traditional” THC, which matches with what you’ve said.
Living in a state that does have recreational cannabis, I was surprised when I first saw Delta 8 THC products sold alongside alcoholic beverages.
So while technically this law change won’t affect me much, I’ve certainly appreciated the destigmatization of “THC” at a federal level.
Delta-9 THC IS what people just called “THC” forever. It’s the very same compound that’s found in your recreational or medical cannabis products. It can be extracted from hemp naturally. The distinction in naming conventions is a more recent thing due to the prevalence of Delta-8 THC products.