Many 12th Graders Found to Use Potentially Risky Products With “Legal” THC Variant

Astudy published today inJAMA reports that many high school seniors are using products containing Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a variant of the main psychoactive compound of marijuana, Δ9-THC. The analysis also showed that Δ8-THC use was elevated in states where recreational marijuana was illegal.“Gummies and other edibles, electronic vaping devices, and combustible flower containing Δ8-THC are marketed as providing a user experience comparable to marijuana in a product that is federally legal,” wrote Alyssa F. Harlow, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California and colleagues. “Δ 8-THC exposure may pose risks to adolescents, including addiction, neurodevelopmental changes, acute psychiatric reactions from accidental overdosing, and exposure to toxic byproducts generated during Δ8-THC synthesis.”Harlow and colleagues examined data from the2023 Monitoring the Future study, a nationally representative classroom-based survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. The 2023 survey included a question for a subset of 12th graders on whether they used Δ8-THC in the past year, and, if yes, how many times. The students also answered a similar question on past-year marijuana use. The final sample included 2,186 responses.Overall, 11.4% of seniors in the U.S. reported past-year Δ8-THC use and 30.4% reported past year marijuana use. Of seniors who reported using Δ8-THC, 35.4% used it at least 10 times in the past year, while 16.8% used it at least 40 times.Oth...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: delta8-THC edibles gummies high school JAMA Jennifer Whitehill marijuana Monitoring the Future survey tetrahydrocannabinol Δ8-THC Source Type: research