By Christina Baker for Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers and advocates for legal cannabis say uneven access to marijuana has pushed consumers toward a widely available — but unregulated — a psychoactive product whose exact contents are often impossible to discern.

A state senator is now pushing to implement regulations that would keep it available while ensuring it is safe to consume.

Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — known as delta-8 — is a cannabinoid derived from hemp. Its properties resemble those of delta-9, the main cannabinoid in marijuana that produces the high. But users say delta-8 creates milder effects.

In 2018, Congress unintentionally sanctioned the sale of delta-8 when it passed a federal farm bill legalizing hemp production. Since then, it has become widely available in edibles, vape pens, oils, and food products sold at head shops, gas stations, and online.

In Pennsylvania, some consumers have turned to it for its reported milder side effects, and because of the state’s complex cannabis landscape: Accessing medical marijuana can be time-consuming and costly, and recreational cannabis remains illegal.

Read the full story here

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