Topline
The FDA and FTC issued a ceasefire on companies selling Delta-8 “edibles” deceptively packaged as branded snacks, warning experts of the dangers — such as psychosis, loss of consciousness, and death — that Delta-8 attitudes pose to taking children.
A range of products advertised as containing synthetically derived delta-8 THC are offered for sale … [+]
Main facts
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to six companies selling “copycat” snacks containing Delta-8 that look strikingly similar to branded foods.
Delta-8 THC (known as Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol) is a naturally occurring compound found in cannabis – although most Delta-8 is synthesized from CBD – that produces the same effects as marijuana (also known as Delta-9), only at a lower potency.
Delta-8 is sold in places like gas stations and hemp stores and is not FDA approved or regulated as it is made primarily from hemp-derived CBD, making Delta-8 federally legal under a 2018 farm bill legalization of hemp, although some states have banned it.
The companies under attack sell products like “Dope Ropes,” which resemble Nerds Ropes, “Double Stuff Stoneos,” which look like double-stuffed Oreos, and even snacks with packaging almost identical to Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot chips and Doritos chips, according to the FTCs announcement.
The FDA and FTC gave the companies 15 days to respond with details of what they did to address concerns, as the FTC said the products may violate Section 5 of the FTC law.
Crucial quote
“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of THC, with many becoming ill and even hospitalized after eating ‘edibles’ containing it,” FDA Deputy Chief Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. rack. “The products we warn about deliberately mimic well-known snack brands by using similar brand names, logos or images on packaging, which consumers, especially children, may confuse with traditional snacks.”
Large number
3,045. That’s the number of cases of children eating “edibles” (THC or CBD-infused snacks) in 2021, according to a study published in Pediatrics. This number is 14 times higher than the number of reported cases in 2017. The Indiana Poison Center is facing a rise in cases, with 75% of all THC overdose calls involving children. Reports involving children under the age of six nearly tripled by 2022 and some resulted in hospitalization.
Key background
Delta-8 has psychoactive and intoxicating effects similar to marijuana, and when packaged as snacks appealing to children, the adverse effects when ingested can be severe. According to According to Riverside Recovery, eating large amounts of Delta-8 can cause psychosis, severe vomiting and addiction. Side effects also include anxiety, tremors, loss of consciousness, confusion, and dizziness. A 2021 report published in the American Journal of Case Reports investigated a case of a two-year-old eating Delta-8 gummies. As a result, the child became unresponsive and suffered from encephalopathy – a decreased oxygen or blood supply to the brain. Between December 2020 and February 2022, the FDA received 104 reports of side effects from people taking Delta-8. Of those 104 cases, 77% were adults, 8% were children under the age of 18, and 15% did not report age. Nearly 70% of those cases happened because the patient ingested a Delta-8 “edible,” such as a brownie. National poison control centers received 2,362 Delta-8 exposure cases between January 2021 and February 2022. Of those cases, 41% involved children under the age of 18 and one pediatric case resulted in death.
tangent
While legal under federal law, 15 states have either prohibited or forbidden sales of Delta-8: Alaska, Hawaii, California, New York, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Iowa, Delaware, Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas and Washington. Other states, such as Texas, are trying to ban it. The state listed Delta-8 controlled substances in 2021, but after a group of veterans, retailers and manufacturers sued the state, a federal judge temporarily removed it from the list. The group sued the state over the drug’s healing and relieving properties. According to a 2021 study published in Research on cannabis and cannabinoids, participants used the drug for chronic pain, anxiety, depression, panic attacks and bipolar disorder. Compared to other drugs such as marijuana, participants rated Delta-8 very highly in its ability to relieve symptoms.
Read further
FTC rebukes companies selling Delta-8 THC in packages similar to regular snacks (Forbes)
Texas hemp companies are filing a restraining order against the state over the legality of Delta 8 (Cron)