A study says that internet search interest in delta-8 THC—a federally unregulated cannabinoid that is commonly synthesized or derived from hemp—is significantly higher in states where marijuana itself remains criminalized.
Looking at online search data available through Google Trends, CBD Nationwide—which calls itself the “largest” cannabidiol manufacturer in the U.S.—found that searches for delta-8 THC were 1.9 times higher in states where adult-use cannabis is illegal, “indicating a significant pivot toward alternative cannabinoids due to cannabis bans,” the company said.
“Cannabis prohibition clearly doesn’t work” the company’s CEO, Katie Devoe, said in a brief statement about the findings.
Delta-8 THC has been especially popular in states where marijuana remains illegal in part because it’s widely accessible online as well as at retailers like convenience stores, gas stations and smoke shops. The cannabinoid is typically obtained from hemp, which is federally legal, or produced synthetically from the crop’s other components.
The differing interest in delta-8 THC between states with different marijuana policies was statistically significant, the company said, with a p-value of “approximately 0.000000655,” meaning it’s extremely unlikely that the disparity in search data between legal and illegal cannabis states were due to random chance.
CBD Nationwide
“The heightened search interest
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