After so many decades of prohibition, it seems that now we can benefit from the cannabinoids that are present in the marijuana and hemp plants. Cannabis remains federally illegal, except for some prescription drugs that contain CBD or THC. However, many states in the country have a medical marijuana program and most of the states permit CBD.
Among all the 110+ cannabinoids, much media attention is given to THC and CBD. Yet, numerous cannabinoids have therapeutic properties. Delta-8 THC is one of the most popular among these cannabinoids and there is confusion about whether this cannabinoid can fail you in a drug test or not. We will give you the answer but before that, let us see what Delta-8 THC is.
Delta-8 THC – A Brief Introduction
The cannabinoids in the cannabis plant are formed from CBGA. The enzymes present in the plant convert CBGA into THCA, and CBDA, etc. When these acids come in contact with heat, they change to cannabinoids. Many of us do not understand that there are different forms of THC and delta-9 THC is the form that we are much familiar with. This is because delta-9 THC is the most abundant cannabinoid that is present in the cannabis plant.
There is also THCV, THCC, THCA, THCP delta-8, and delta-10 THC in marijuana. Only very little delta-8 THC is present and therefore manufacturers make use of special methods to extract it. Delta-8 THC is much identical to delta-9 THC and the difference is that the double bond of delta-8 THC is present in the eighth carbon atom in the chain, whereas that of delta-9 is present in the ninth carbon atom. This can seem a very small difference, but it can have a big impact on the way the cannabinoids impact the user. Even though, both these THCs cause intoxication, the effect of delta-8 is much milder when compared to that of delta-9.
Working Of THC Drug Test
Many of us think that drug screening tests are very sophisticated, but in reality, they are much flawed and can show false negatives and positives. When we take THC, our body breaks it down to other chemicals, and the cannabinoid changes to THC metabolites. Most of the drug screening tests look for these metabolites and the drug tests that are currently in use cannot differentiate between delta-9 and delta-8 THC metabolites. The metabolites from both these cannabinoids will be picked up in a drug screening test, meaning that delta-8 THC can fail you in a drug test.