Delta-10 THC, what’s the deal?

You may have heard the buzz lately about Δ10 THC but what the heck is it and how are we just learning about it? Until recently, delta-10 was difficult to identify. Researchers often misidentified Delta-10 because in naturally occurs in such small quantities making it hard to differentiate it between CBC and CBL.

The Creation of Delta 10

Recently a California based company called Fusion Farms bought some outdoor cannabis to produce concentrates that had accidentally and unbeknownst to them had been contaminated with fire retardant. After distilling the extract from the biomass, they noticed some strange, unfamiliar crystals. Although the analysis suggested the crystals were CBC, they weren’t an exact match. After further synthesizing and refining the sample, a third party testing facility, Jonesing Labs was able to confirm the crystal formation as Delta-10 THC. The labs concluded that the crystal formation occurred because of the presence of the fire retardant. Sounds scary but don’t worry, labs have already been hard at work figuring out how to synthesize D10, safely and in large enough quantities to matter.

What Exactly Is Delta 10?

Δ10 is coming to market in just a few weeks. The world still knows very little about Delta 10 but here is what we do know. It is the sibling to Δ8 and Δ9 THC with the differences between all 3 being the location of a crucial double bond in the molecular structure. That double bond determines the shape of the molecule and in turn, affects the way it interacts with the endocannabinoid receptor.  It is that interaction between the molecule and the receptor that produces the intoxicating effect.

Each THC compound varies quite a bit from one another. Even still, the scientific assumption is that each THC compound will follow the same metabolic pathways. In lay terms, Δ8, Δ9, and Δ10 THC are similar to each other in that they react with the endocannabinoid system to produce an effect but each with varying results. People have reported that the effects of synthesized delta-8 THC, in most cases, to be milder than those of delta-9. People have also described Delta-10 as being just as mild as delta-8. 

What does Delta 10 Do and Is it Legal?

I know you have some questions, so let me sort those out for you. Is Δ10 legal? In short, yes, for now  long as it is hemp derived. It falls under the same umbrella as delta-8 THC. Federal law concludes Delta 10 legal in the United States if it continues to be derived from hemp. Will Delta-10 get you high? Yes, Δ10 THC, just like delta-8 THC & delta-9 THC does have intoxicating effects so you will get high. Will you fail a drug test? Absolutely, yes, you will fail a drug test if they are testing you for THC.

So why should you care about delta-10? The long and short of it is that you don’t have to care about it. If you are happy with the effect you get from D8 and for those of you lucky enough to have legal access to D9, D10 might be a non-starter. But for those who find delta-9 and delta-8 a bit too intoxicating, delta-10 may exactly what you are looking for. Especially for the states that have not yet legalized D9 THC, where D8 THC is the only product that has been available, D10 THC could be the trick. Since the cannabis industry in general is on the rise, you can bet that no matter what your preference might be, Delta-10 will be available in every conceivable form before you can even say tetrahydrocannabinol.