{"id":2420,"date":"2024-03-30T14:30:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T14:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2024-03-30T14:30:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T14:30:39","slug":"use-of-legal-delta-8-thc-is-rising-among-teens-is-it-safe-few-safeguards-concerns-for-health-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2420","title":{"rendered":"Use of Legal ‘Delta-8-THC’ Is Rising Among Teens – Is it Safe? Few Safeguards, Concerns for Health Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"DeltaMarch 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) —<\/strong> They’re cheap, easy to buy and now new research<\/a> shows they have become the buzz of choice for American teens. Delta-8-THC products, which include gummies and vapes, are legal in 22 states and Washington, D.C. There is no federal minimum age requirement for buying them, and they are sold in gas stations, chain drug stores and online.<\/p>\n

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Typically derived from hemp, delta-8-THC is not as potent as its cousin delta-9-THC<\/a>, which is derived from the marijuana plant. However, it still can make users feel high.\u00a0 In addition, because delta-8-THC isn’t regulated, they noted there are few safeguards to prevent the presence of impurities and toxins and no warning labels or ingredient lists. It also means the products can be marketed to youth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because the substance has chemical similarities to delta-9-THC \u2014 which causes the marijuana “high” \u2014 scientists are concerned it may pose similar health risks. In particular, they are worried about effects on brain development and behavior, addiction and accidental overdose.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That has made the products a marketing magnet for teens: The new survey finds that among more than 2,000 U.S. 12th graders, 11.4% had used delta-8-THC in the past year. Southern and Midwestern states had even higher rates, as did states that have not legalized adult use of recreational marijuana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Considering that delta-8-THC has only been on the market since 2018, the fact that we’re seeing more than 11% of youth using it is concerning,” said study author Alyssa Harlow<\/a>, of the University of Southern California (USC) Institute for Addiction Science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Time and time again, we see the same pattern. When a new addictive drug hits the market and is commercialized, youth are the first to be affected if public health protections are not in place,” senior study author Adam Matthew Leventhal<\/a>, executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science, said in a USC news release. “We saw this with nicotine e-cigarettes and should not let history repeat itself with delta-8-THC or the other hemp products.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Until this new study, there had been no nationwide estimates of how common delta-8-THC use is, he noted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The new estimates come from the 2023 Monitoring the Future Survey, a classroom-based poll that tracks youth substance use. It includes students from every region of the country. Their answers are weighted to reflect the gender, race and parental education levels of the U.S. population.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Of the 12th graders surveyed:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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