A new cannabis product commonly called Delta 8 is confusing law enforcement officials throughout the country. The flower buds look, smell and taste (when smoked) like marijuana, and it even contains a type of THC. Yet, this particular cannabis, which experienced a tremendous surge in popularity in 2020, is seemingly legal to buy and consume even in many states where recreational marijuana remains against the law.

Before getting too far into the legal gray area of Delta 8, though, readers should be cautioned that products containing it have not been FDA-tested or FDA-approved. It’s always recommended to speak with your doctor before introducing anything new to your body and be advised that smoking, vaping, or otherwise imbibing any kind of cannabis product could adversely affect your health. Anyone using Delta-8 THC should also be aware it will turn up on a drug test as regular THC, and thus could cause one to fail the test should it exceed the accepted limit.

For readers with only a passing knowledge of the cannabis world, there are also some terms to understand. First, marijuana and hemp are the same species of plant, which is cannabis. The plant is further classified as sativa, indica, or ruderalis—though ruderalis is considered a subspecies by many botanists—as well as hybrid combinations of the three. [Read More @ Newsweek]