According to a new federally funded study from the American Medical Association, the use of hemp-derived consumption is on the rise, with one in four Americans stating they have tried a hemp-derived product over the last year.
The data from this study, which revealed the growing popularity of hemp, also found links between the consumption of unregulated products and states where marijuana is illegal.
Everything changed for the hemp industry nearly six years ago, when the 2018 farm bill legalized its production at a federal level, allowing hemp-derived products, such as CBD and Delta-8-THC to make their way into gas stations, convenience stores and the internet.
Delta-9-THC, the compound in cannabis that gets you high, and its legal isomer, Delta-8, have since concurrently lived very different lives.
Though both compounds come from the same plant, Delta-8 being derived from hemp, has garnered its legal status. Delta-9, more fondly referred to as marijuana, is still federally illegal.
“Prevalence of past-year cannabis use was somewhat higher than in other studies but was similarly associated with younger age, and past-year cannabis use was also associated with using emerging cannabinoid products,” the study said.
“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….
