7/25/2021 : Delta-8 and other synthetic isomers of cannabinoids 

Always remember to do your research about what you're ingesting into your body, especially as newer synthetic isomers of "cannabinoids" are being created and sold i.e. Delta-3, Delta-4, Delta-5 aka Delta-7, Delta-8, Delta -10, THCv, THC-O Acetate, etc.

We want every to stay safe, healthy, and informed!
- Bud-ee's Staff 
 

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"Delta-8: What’s in this stuff?"
 

"While delta-8 is a naturally occurring cannabinoid, it’s synthesized into a distillate through a conversion process. This involves first extracting it from hemp or CBD using acid — a process prone to creating unintended byproducts. Solvents used during the extraction process can remain bonded to the delta-8 THC if the extraction isn’t done correctly, according to Roger Brown, president of ACS Laboratory, an award-winning cannabis testing facility in Sun City Center, Florida. Such solvents include heptane, hexane, tulane, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid, Brown said.

 

Copper, chromium and nickel—in levels considered unsafe for inhalation—were found inside seven of 16 delta-8 products tested by the U.S. Cannabis Council, a cannabis industry trade group. Hexane, heptane, ethanol and acetone were also found in some of the products, but not in levels considered unsafe for inhalation, the industry group said."

"In April 2021, a research team backed by the U.S. Cannabis Council purchased an assortment of unlicensed delta-8 THC products from unregulated retail stores in California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Michigan, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Indiana.
Of the 16 products tested by ProVerde Laboratories in Massachusetts, none were compliant with the legal limit of 0.3% THC specified in the 2018 farm bill.
      

According to the report, many of the products contained compounds not allowed by state law in regulated cannabis products. Those compounds included the metals chromium, copper, nickel, and lead.

Additionally, many of the samples contained residual traces of solvents (the chemicals used in the process to separate delta-8 THC from hemp) at levels not safe for human inhalation. Those solvents included hexane, methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, heptane, acetone, and isopropanol."

       “At this point, most of the concern is just the unknowns,” said Steven Crowley, a hemp and processing technician and compliance specialist for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which handles state regulations on cannabis. Crowley said it’s “common” to see delta-8 products with 10% or more unidentified compounds, a troubling trend he wants to see fixed.
 

Retail sources: Untested, unregulated, unknown

"There are basically two ways to buy delta-8: online, or in unlicensed stores like smoke shops and gas stations. There are some infused delta-8 THC edible products sold in licensed cannabis stores by reputable companies, but the vast majority of delta-8 products are sold outside the state-licensed cannabis system."

      “Just like CBD, the marketing claims and the enthusiasm is soaring above the actual science that we have,” Dr. Grinspoon said. “So these things may or may not pan out, but in the meantime, it is a little bit dangerous—the fact that it’s unregulated and untested.”

Source:  Is delta-8 THC safe? Here's what the experts say | Leafly