Posted on September 20, 2025 View all news
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and CBD. Now, the hemp industry is converting CBD into dangerous synthetic THC-variant products, like Delta-8.
Vape and smoke shops, gas stations, and various retailers are selling hemp-derived THC and its analogues, such as Delta-8-THC, which are synthetically produced from CBD. These products are being marketed as medicine and are being sold to Texas youth, contributing to severe mental and physical health issues and, in some cases, even death.
Products are intentionally designed to resemble everyday foods, like candies, to target children. Sugary flavors are added to vapes and other THC products to conceal their toxic taste.
Is the hemp industry making other THC products, and are they legal?
Yes, THC products made from hemp are federally legal but are outlawed in some states. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the manufacture and sale of hemp plants that mainly contain the chemical cannabidiol (CBD) and a small amount of the psychoactive drug, Tetrahydrocannabinol, Delta-9-THC. The farm bill states that hemp plants can only contain a dry weight concentration of 0.3% Delta-9-THC. Drug entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the various loopholes in this bill by using CBD to synthesize other THC-variants, such as Delta-8-THC, to attract more customers/users. These THC variants can be addictive and dangerous and come in different forms, such as:
- Delta-8 (3x weaker than Delta-9)
- Delta-10
- Delta-12
- THC-0 (3x stronger than Delta-8)
- THC-H (25x stronger than Delta-9)
- THC-P (33x stronger than Delta-9)
- THC-V
- HHC
- HXC
- HCC-O
How can the hemp industry convert CBD to THC, like Delta-8?
The hemp industry uses a strong acid and a solvent, such as toluene, which is usually used in the manufacture of paint products. These chemicals are used to rearrange the molecules of CBD into different isomers. Isomers are compounds with the same chemical formula but different structures.
Delta-8-THC exists naturally in the hemp plant but at very low levels (less than 1%) or not at all; therefore, manufacturers must synthesize Delta-8 from CBD for mass production.
Are these products considered synthetic?
Yes, a chemical process is applied to convert hemp-derived CBD into an even more potent THC product using a process called acetylation, which uses the chemical acetic anhydride. Acetylation is the same chemical process that is used to convert morphine into heroin, a more potent opioid. For example, THC-O acetate, which is directly synthesized from Delta-8-THC, is about 3 times more potent.
Where can you buy these products?
These THC derivatives are easily available and accessible to youth at many smoke shops, convenience stores, or gas stations, and even can be ordered online.
What do these products look like?
- oils and waxes to vape or smoke
- flower
- candies/gummies
- drinks
- vapes
- tinctures (oil used sublingually or on foods)
- moon rocks-hemp/cannabis flower buds dipped in hash oil then rolled in kief, the most potent part of the hemp/cannabis flower
- Roll-ons
- other edibles like cereal
What are the side effects?
These products can cause dangerous mental and physical impairments to users; given how the acetylation process generally increases the strength of a drug by two to four-fold, it is easy to see that Delta-8-based THC-O acetate will be just as intoxicating and addictive as marijuana-derived Delta-9-THC.
Has anyone died from consuming these products?
The FDA has received many reports of harmful effects form these products, and The Every Brain Matters community is in touch with several families who report that their loved ones experienced symptoms of psychosis (paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations) and later died by suicide related to the psychosis symptoms.
Why is the United States passively allowing the manufacture, sale, and use of dangerous products?
Despite families educating the federal legislators about the harms of these products, they have taken no action. However, some states have outlawed these products.
Are these products safer than marijuana/cannabis products?
- Even though there is little data on these products, the effects of addictiveness and psychosis of Delta-9 THC are well established.
- They can contain contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.
- More concerning is that these products can contain by-products from the synthesization process such as residual acid, organic solvents, and chemicals, some of which are unknown. In pharmaceutical products, these by-products are neutralized or removed in order to meet industry standards to ensure product quality as required by FDA regulations.
What is the FDA doing?
Due to:
- An uptick in adverse event reports to the FDA and the nation’s poison control centers.
- Marketing, including online marketing of products, that is appealing to children.
- Concerns regarding contamination due to methods of manufacturing that may in some cases be used to produce marketed delta-8 THC products.
The FDA has sent warning letters to hemp manufacturers, but they haven’t taken any enforcement actions, which they have the authority to do through the Department of Justice.
On May 4, 2022, The FDA published ” 5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol” warning:
- Delta-8-THC products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put the public at health risk.
- The FDA has received adverse event reports involving delta-8 THC-containing products.
- Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects.
- Delta-8 THC products often involve use of potentially harmful chemicals.
- Delta-8 THC products should be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
What can we do to get these products off the market?
- Join the Every Brain Matters community to continue to raise awareness, educate legislators and communities, and hold manufacturers accountable
- Share this pamphlet
- Send this letter to your legislators.
