plant-based wellness

Looking Beyond CBD and THC

An Introduction to the Hemp Derivative Delta-8

by Meredith Montgomery

As a seemingly endless supply of cannabidiol (CBD) products have flooded the U.S. market in recent years, many experts in the industry are looking beyond CBD to the many other beneficial components of the cannabis plant. More than 480 chemical entities (including over 100 canna-binoids and over 100 terpenes) occur naturally in this complex plant, and when they interact with various receptors within our body, a wide gamut of psychoactive and medicinal effects are elicit-ed.

“Of the 489 chemicals in cannabis, delta-9-THC is the only one listed as a federally controlled substance,” says Jennifer Boozer, owner of CannaBama (CannaBama.com), in Mobile, Alabama. “Everyone knows it as the one that gets you in trouble—the one that gets you high.”

Get to Know Delta-8-THC

While many consumers are familiar with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as the plant’s primary psy-choactive component, most are not aware that there are several forms of THC in cannabis. Delta-8-THC is an analog of the well-known delta-9-THC, and a slight molecular difference between the two makes delta-8 significantly less potent. Users report a smoother, less anxious psychoac-tive experience that leaves them functional, plus it seems to have more medicinal effects.

“Even in low quantities, people love it for anxiety and pain relief, and it’s very effective for nau-sea and as an appetite stimulant,” says Boozer, who’s experienced a higher demand for delta-8 than CBD this year. “It can energize you or relax you depending on the terpene profile, but it’s more of a body high—it makes you feel good and helps you focus, and there’s no paranoia.”

A well-known study on delta-8-THC involved eight children, ages 8 to 13, who were being treated with various drugs and chemotherapy for hematologic cancers in Jerusalem. The patients were given delta-8-THC two hours before each session of chemotherapy and then every six hours for 24 hours. With this treatment, “vomiting was completely prevented” and “side effects ob-served were negligible.”

Boozer witnessed the medicinal effects of delta-8 when a friend was diagnosed with terminal stomach, lung and brain cancer. “The delta-8 gummies I gave him kept him from losing his mind. It was the only comfort he had to manage his pain and keep him from getting sick from the treatment,” she says.

Ensuring Quality and Legality

Like the CBD market, there isn’t much quality control of delta-8 and the scientific research, while promising, is limited. The legality of it can also be murky when products are not sourced from a reputable retailer. While delta-8 derived from hemp—a cannabis variety that is high in CBD and low in THC—is federally legal, synthetically altering CBD into delta-8-THC or sourc-ing it from a THC-potent cannabis plant, is illegal. Additionally, some states have more restrictive laws about hemp products, including Mississippi.

Boozer also warns that many delta-8 vape cartridges being sold have illegal amounts of delta-9-THC and that researching brands to ensure transparency and quality is paramount.

“You have to check the certificate of analysis (COA) and make sure the company is transparent by testing aggressively for purity and residuals like pesticides, heavy metals or solvents,” says Jon Bonds, the Sales Director of the delta-8 product line Hii Stick (HiiStick.com). He notes that a lot of brands from the tobacco industry are entering the market and trying to make quick money. “If a product is only 70 percent pure and nothing else is listed on the package, what is that other 30 percent?”

Price points can also be a quick indication of quality. Hii Stick Marketing Director Ian Bush says, “Because the CBD conversion process is expensive and time consuming, the price [for delta-8] shouldn’t be too low—you get what you pay for.”

Comparing Delta-8 to Other Cannabinoids

Unlike spice or other synthetic cannabinoids, delta-8 naturally occurs in hemp. It has been around as long as cannabis, but only recently has it been identified and isolated from other compounds. It’s growing in popularity partly because it can serve both medicinal and recreational consumers. “People think of CBD as the nonalcoholic beer of the cannabis world because they can’t feel its effects as significantly as they can feel THC. The long-term effects of THC consumption is that it’s a part of the entourage effect—including it in a full-spectrum oil is great,” says Boozer. “But THC alone, in any form, is not going to get rid of inflammation and reverse symptoms like CBD can.”

For many people, taking delta-8 at the end of the day is like drinking a glass of wine, but when combined with CBD, it helps bring the body into balance for overall well-being. Delta-8 can also be used to prolong the therapeutic effects of CBD, especially in cases involving pain or anxiety.

“I had fallen out of love with cannabis the older I got. I take CBD, but more as a supplement be-cause it didn’t do it for me recreationally,” Bush says. “After my daughter was born I learned about delta-8 and now [at Hii Stick] we’re trying to be innovators in this market because we see applications for it for so many types of people suffering from so many different things.”

Boozer is excited about the growing popularity of delta-8 because every time producers learn how to isolate a new trace compound of cannabis, it represents a higher level of product customi-zation that is available. “I think the future of cannabis is isolated compounds—I envision cus-tomers sitting at a bar and working with a mixologist to make a custom tincture of cannabinoids, terpenes and other herbs. We can keep that recipe on file for them and tweak it depending on their current needs—add echinacea if they feel a cold coming on, or increase the delta-8 if they get injured and need pain relief,” she says.

She also thinks we need to stop referring to cannabis as a drug. Boozer says, “Cannabis is the most bioavailable plant that we know of. There’s more chemicals in cannabis that are identical to the human body and usable than any other plant. It’s a superfood and food is medicine.”

Meredith Montgomery is the publisher of the Gulf Coast edition of Natural Awakenings. Connect at HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com.

With a new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

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Erin Thole on What’s up with Meditation?

by Erin Thole, CNHP

There are a lot of science-based benefits of meditation in both adults and children. As a long time meditator I think that it’s super cool that some schools are now starting to implement mindfulness, meditation and yoga. Kids learning these skills at a young age will help them to be better parts of society as adults.

Mindfulness and meditation help us to slooooooow down a bit, get centered, grounded and reconnected to our emotions, our desires, our roadblocks and how to get past them, our motivations and more. It also helps to reduce stress and blood pressure. And who doesn’t need help with stress relieve after 2020?!

There are different types of meditation. The most popular are:

1. Focused meditation - where you are zoning in on one thing and not thinking of anything else - like your breath or a gong. If the mind wonders, you just pull yourself back to focusing on the breath. Slow, deep breath in, slow exhaul out.

2. Spiritual Meditation - similar to prayer. You are really just focusing on the silence and the greatness that is around you and seeking to strengthen your connection to God, the Universe, Source, nature, Earth, etc. Often times essential oils are used to open up this connection. Like: frankincense, myrrh, sage and cedar.

3. Mindfulness Meditation - this is the most popular type of meditation. Basically you are sitting quietly and noting your thoughts as they pass through your mind and then releasing them. You are simply observing and noting any patterns or trends. Many people try to focus on their breath as they also note any feelings, sensations or thoughts that come up.

4. Moving or Active

Meditation - This could be a walk in the woods, yoga, gardening, qigong, or any peaceful activity that allows the mind to wonder off and “take a break.” 5. Mantra Meditation - This is focusing on a word or affirmation. It can be very empowering as you feel the words vibrating through you. Om is often used. It is the “perfect” sound and helps to calm the nervous system as it vibrates through your body. You can also use a phase like “I am at peace.” …. or whatever you would like. Mantras help you to focus and keep the mind from wondering.

6. Transcendental Meditation - This is the most popular type of meditation around the world and the most studied. It uses a series of mantras that are specific to the practitioner.

Studies show that meditating, even just 10 minutes a day, has great benefits. It can:

1. Reduce stress and anxiety 2. Promote emotional health and well being 3. Enhance self awareness 4. Lengthen your attention span 5. Reduce age related memory issues 6. Generates kindness 7. Helps fight addictions 8. Improves sleep 9. Helps control pain 10. Decreases blood pressure My all time favor app for meditation is Insight Timer App. You can choose the length of time you want to meditate and you also choose your topic, and they have a TON: sleep, stress, health, anxiety, addiction, abundance, love and many, many more! Once you choose length and topic it will spit a list of meditations that fit your criteria back at you.

I love the guided meditations. It is a great way to get centered and refreshed. Often times the mind wonders to our to-do list when we are trying to be still and meditate. Having something tot focus on is very helpful.

Many of my clients love the sleep meditations. There are also prayers and spiritually based lectures and workshops you can attend on the app.

One of the really cool things is that it will tell you how many people around the world are also meditating at the same time you are and it will keep track of how many days in a row you have meditated.

It’s time to get zen!

Erin Thole, CNHP has been working in Functional Medicine for over 12 years. To learn more and request a free consultation: www.erinthole.com - thole. erin@gmail.com

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Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. ~Maya Angelou