Public use of unregulated products containing delta-8-THC is greater in states where cannabis is criminalized, according to data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Investigators affiliated with the University of Michigan, the University of Buffalo, and the Legacy Research Institute in Portland, Oregon analyzed survey results from over 1,100 respondents.
Overall, 12 percent of respondents acknowledged having consumed delta-8-THC products in the past year. Respondents who resided in states without either medical cannabis or adult-use access were more likely to report delta-8-THC consumption. Specifically, those who lived where medical cannabis was legal had 56 percent lower odds of using delta-8 products, while those who resided in legal states had 55 percent lower odds. “Higher delta-8-THC use in states without medical or adult-use cannabis laws suggests that cannabis prohibition may unintentionally promote delta-8-THC use,” the study’s authors concluded.
Commenting on the study’s findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “The limited popularity of these products is a predictable outgrowth of criminal marijuana prohibition. As one would expect, there exists far less demand for these unregulated products in an environment where whole-plant cannabis legally regulated and available.”
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