Last month, a warning was raised by a chemist on the constituents of delta-8 THC, its production techniques, and other unknowns.

Delta-8 THC is fast becoming an ever-present compound. While this may seem like good news, it is a thing of concern. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about this compound, with a lot of concerns about the production, labeling, and marketing strategy.

Colorado has recently banned sales of delta-8 THC products, and other states like Vermont have already removed it from the shelves.

Delta-8 THC is commercially produced by different companies., with each company having its unique technique for preparing d8 isolates. These techniques have no regulations and most times third-party tests are not done. Because to this, some companies are introducing unhealthy compounds like heavy metals when creating these isolates.

This poses a huge risk to consumers that constantly purchase food items containing delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol. Not to forget that these items can be found almost everywhere. More so, producers and vendors are actively marketing these products.

The question that remains is: How safe are these products? The marketers don’t seem to know, neither do the vendors. If they do, they are not giving any proof.

Four weeks ago, a warning was raised by Josh Swider on the constituents of the delta-8 THC, its production techniques, and other unknowns.

Who Is Josh Swider?

He is a chemist whose drive is to obtain considerable knowledge about the workings of science. He is well versed in the medical properties and benefits of cannabis and is always on the hunt for deeper knowledge on the subject.

This is why he is inclined to know why there is a limited amount of research, as well as public awareness about delta-8 infused products.

RELATED: Demand Is Booming For Delta-8

It is worthy to note that he is one of the co-founders of Chemical Analysis Labs, also called Infinite CAL. CAL was established in 2016 by Mr. Swider and fellow chemist David Merlius.

The mission statement of the company reads: “to provide the cannabis industry with accurate and timely analytical services of the highest quality while meeting or exceeding their clients’ expectations.”

Why A Caution Flag Is Needed On The Race For Delta-8 THC

A few weeks ago during an interview,  Swider, who emphasized that he wasn’t an attorney, stated clearly that the World Health Organizatin (WHO) guidelines on the production of delta-8 weren’t clear enough.The synthesis of one cannabinoid to another is classified illegal by the WHO.

On one hand, we have “synthesis” and on the other, “conversion”.

According to the oxford dictionary, conversion is the process of changing the form, character, or function of a compound. While synthesis is the process of producing a new chemical compound from simpler materials through chemical reactions.

However, this is not so clear.

Only a well-versed chemist can understand the WHO paper on the synthesis of cannabinoids. A non-informed individual would get confused with the terminologies used therein.

RELATED: Delta-8 Vs Delta-9: What’s The Difference?

Mr. Swider also clarified that there are various ways to convert CBD to delta-8, but none of these methods can give a 100% yield of pure delta-8 isolates. The output always comes out with some unknown variety of compounds. The percentage of these unknown compounds varies depending on the method used.

The WHO can instead point out efficient and cleaner methods of isolating delta-8 from these cannabinoids, because companies are usually left with the task of identifying the unknown compounds, as well as determining how to separate them from the needed d-8 isolates.

The problem now is that several companies rather than look for ways to separate these unknowns, invalidate their presence instead. Hence, the ubiquitous consumables filled with unhealthy compounds found everywhere in the market.

And example is when CBD is converted and the result is 70% delta-8 THC and 30% unknown. The chemist is meant to convert these unknowns into a more pure product, because the 30% unknown can make or mar a product.

Looking at it from a consumer perspective

Swider pointed out that he had no discrimination about the delta-8 compound, seeing that some people were preparing it efficiently. However, there are questions regarding production techniques that need to be clarified.

Commercial producers of these isolates are only concerned about making it in time and enough quantify, pushing aside the health and safety of the consumer.

RELATED: Delta-8 THC: Benefits, How It Works And Scientific Evidence

All consumables must be efficiently tested, with their quality modified to fit consumption.

Nowadays, these companies claim they carry out tests. But there is a lot of doubt cast over the genuineness of these test sites. Not to mention the authenticity of the results. These companies seem to uphold profit over ethics when it should be the other way around. It is quite absurd that these test results are not questioned.

During the interview, Swider reiterated that first and foremost, his biggest issue about the delta-8 topic is public safety.

Unlike delta-9 THC, delta-8 THC is naturally scarce. It can be found in very limited quantities in some plants. The process of extracting this compound is also complex. Suffice to say, these chemical processes are necessary to create d8 isolates.

Safety of D-8 Products

At this point, there is no way to generally classify these products as safe.

Some tips to follow before and after purchasing these products include:

• Speaking with a medical professional to guarantee its safety
• Take little doses of a product at once
• Call into the producer’s company to make inquiries.
• Check out other reviews on the internet
• Fish out and study lab tests of the product before use

Licensed delta-8 products have labels with advice such as “do not operate heavy machinery” when you’re not sure of the product’s effects.

All of these safety measures and more should be adhered to to ensure the drug is fit for consumption, as well as ensure the consumer is safe after using.

Bottom Line

The forced reactions when converting CBD to delta-8 isolates have been proven to yield unknown compounds. To ascertain the purity of these products, tests are needed to first determine the exact composition of these unknowns.

As more research is being carried out, the reactions yielding unknowns might be discovered and corrected. Several DIY chemists are working on these conversions, alongside professional laboratories.

Before purchasing your delta-8 THC products, do well to carry out informative research about the brand and the product also.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.