Adolescent Use of Delta-8 THC and Marijuana in the United States

• A 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, published in March 2024, revealed that 11% of 12^th-grade students across the United States reported using Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinoid (Delta-8 THC)¹. This survey is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Use of psychoactive cannabis products is higher in states that do not have Delta-8 or cannabis legalization¹.

Difference between Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC

United States federal law dictates that legal hemp-based cannabis products must contain less than 0.3% Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis). Delta-8 THC is a positional isomer of Delta-9 THC which may elicit psychoactive properties similar to those of Delta-9 THC. Hemp-based products containing higher levels of Delta-8 THC are manufactured and consumed with increasing frequency by consumers². Traditional screening and confirmation tests do not distinguish Delta-8 THC from Delta-9 THC.

Delta-8 THC Being Marketed Towards Adolescents

Manufacturers are increasing their marketing and sales tactics directed to adolescents with claims that Delta-8 THC products are legal and comparable to marijuana¹. Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinoid (Delta-8 THC) is legal at the federal level; but it is not legal in every state. Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinoid (Delta-9 THC) is illegal at the federal level; but it is legal in more than 50% of states³. Manufacturers create Delta-8 THC products that are primarily aimed at adolescents in the form of gummies, flavored vaping devices, candy, etc., and these products are easily accessible to teens¹.

Surveys and Studies into Delta-8 THC

Numerous studies have found that adolescent cannabis use is associated with adverse effects on learning, memory, and attention⁴. Changes in brain development and the development of cannabis use disorder along with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, psychosis and suidicality have been observed⁴.

Survey Objective and Design¹

NIH sought to gather the self-reported prevalence of use, the sociodemographics of users, and the policy factors affecting use among adolescents in the United States. A randomly selected subset of 12^th-grade students in 27 states participated in the survey between February and June 2023.

Survey Demographics¹

The sample of 2,186 12-th grade students yielded the following demographics:

• Mean Age: 17.7 years
• Female: 48.9%, Male: 45.8%, Undetermined Gender: 5.3%
• Ethnicity:
  • 1% Black
  • 5% Hispanic
  • 1% White
  • 2% Multiracial
  • 0% Asian
  • 1% Other
• 7% had a parent with a college degree.
• Reported residence in the U.S.:
  • 7% South
  • 5% West
  • 0% Midwest
  • 9% Northeast
• 2% lived in states with adult-use marijuana legalization.
• 8% lived in states with Delta-8 THC regulations.

Survey Results¹

• 4% (n = 295) self-reported use of Delta-8 THC in the past 12 months with 35.4% (n = 104) of self-reported cases used >10 times in the past 12 months.
• 4% self-reported use of marijuana.
• Delta-8 THC prevalence was higher in the South and Midwest states.
• Delta-8 THC prevalence was higher in states without legal adult-use marijuana or Delta-8 THC regulations. However, marijuana use prevalence did not differ by cannabis policies.
• Delta-8 THC prevalence was lower among Hispanic than White respondents.
• Prevalence of Delta-8 THC and marijuana use did not differ by gender or the level of parental education.

Conclusion

Delta-8 THC prevalence is substantial among US adolescents¹. Many people use products containing Delta-8 THC due to their easy accessibility and claims to treat a variety of maladies². However, using these products can cause a presumptive positive result on a THC drug test, even though the person has not used Delta-9 THC. Prioritizing surveillance, policy, and public heath efforts addressing adolescent Delta-8 THC use may be warranted¹.

DTPM Solutions

To resolve the conflicting screening and confirmatory test results and to determine the actual cause of a presumptive positive THC test, DTPM offers the availability of LC-MS/MS confirmatory testing that will differentiate metabolites of Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC and determine their concentration in urine samples. Simply order the Delta-8/9 Confirmation Panel via the Phoenix Laboratory Information Management software. If you do not have Phoenix software, please contact us at help@dtpm.com for assistance.