Can Delta 8 THC help to manage the effects of pain? For many users, the answer is “yes.”
While it wouldn’t be responsible for us to make medical claims, we can share feedback from our customers and from research published by reputable sources.
The conclusion we’ve reached is that Delta 8 shows promise for treating certain types of pain. We can only hope that more peer-reviewed research will emerge to help us learn more about Delta 8 for pain relief.
Let’s clearly define Delta 8 and briefly look at how it works. Then, we’ll focus on its potential for helping users deal with the effects of pain.
What is Delta 8?
Delta 8, also called Delta 8 THC, is a federally legal, hemp-derived cannabinoid. In other words, it’s a chemical that causes certain mental and physical effects and is found in hemp plants.
Where Does Delta 8 Come From?
The 2018 Farm Bill, a piece of federal legislation, legalized commercial hemp production with Delta 9 THC (that’s the major active ingredient in cannabis plants) levels below 0.3%. That made sales of Delta 8 legal nationally. However, some states and municipalities limit or prohibit sales.
Delta 8 products are made from hemp. They go through a variety of processes to become easily and safely consumable.
How Does Delta 8 Work?
Delta 8 is a psychoactive chemical, meaning that it acts on the brain. It affects things like mood and behavior, in ways the vast majority of users view as positive.
Everyone’s body has an endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids like Delta 8 bond to endocannabinoid receptors that produce these effects.
Delta 8 has been recognized by users as having mild psychoactive effects. That’s good news if you’re interested in Delta 8 more for things like pain relief as opposed to experiencing an intense high.
What are the Effects of Delta 8?
Delta 8 users often report benefits like pain relief, along with a sense of relaxation and general euphoria.
Research conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) and the University of Michigan (UMich) found a majority of users report experiencing all three benefits. A paper by some of those researchers, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Cannabis Research, shares these percentages from a Delta 8 user survey:
- 71% report feeling relaxation
- 68% report feeling euphoria
- 55% report feeling pain relief
Delta 8 for Pain Management: Is Delta 8 Good for Pain?
It’s premature to say that Delta 8 has been scientifically proven to help with pain management. There simply hasn’t been enough research performed to back up that statement.
However, we can clearly see that users commonly cite pain relief as a reason why they use Delta 8. As a major retailer, we see pain relief mentioned in customer reviews of a variety of our Delta 8 products.
The joint UB-UMich research we mentioned in the previous section supports those individual user experiences. It helps us start to understand the bigger picture — that a majority of users experience feelings of pain relief when using Delta 8.
Does Delta 8 Help with Physical Pain?
There are promising signs that Delta 8 can help with physical pain. With more than half of all users surveyed reporting pain relief as an effect of Delta 8, there is a positive outlook for future research. Whether for chronic pain or occasional issues, high-quality Delta 8 THC products can have a positive impact.
That only takes us so far. We simply don’t have the peer-reviewed scientific findings to conclusively say using Delta 8 for back pain is always effective, for example.
However, we can say that Delta 8 has mild side effects, a low price point, and is easily accessible in many areas. Combined with a majority of users reporting effects like pain relief and relaxation, Delta 8 can certainly be worth considering as an option for pain relief.
Is Delta 8 an Anti-Inflammatory?
Inflammation is a biological response to a source of negative stimulation, like viruses and bacteria. Pain and inflammation are often connected. The signs of inflammation generally include pain and sensitivity.
At the risk of being repetitive, it’s too early to tell if Delta 8 is a broadly effective anti-inflammatory. This is a specific medical benefit that can be harder for users to determine themselves and report as compared to a more general feeling, like pain relief.
We can see that Delta 8 may have anti-inflammatory effects based on related research. A cannabinoid developed by Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, partially based on Delta 8, has shown positive anti-inflammatory results in lab testing. The research was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
How Will Delta 8 Make Me Feel?
We’ve covered the major user-reported benefits of Delta 8, namely pain relief, euphoria, and relaxation. Potential side effects include drowsiness, increased hunger, confusion, and an altered sense of time.
It’s important to note that Delta 8’s effects on mood and mental state are less intense than many other widely available cannabinoids. While effective dosing is critical and everyone can have different reactions to Delta 8, users often say side effects are relatively mild.
Finding a Dependable Source of High-Quality Delta 8 Products
Many users who turn to Delta 8 for pain relief want products that provide long-lasting effects. Delta 8 gummies (along with other types of edibles, like chocolate) and tinctures are popular options.
Because of how these Delta 8 products interact with the human body, they tend to have longer-lasting effects as compared to smoking or vaping. They are also small, discreet, odorless, and easy to carry. You don’t need to prepare them or have a charged vape pen battery ready to use.
However, some users prefer the faster onset and ability to quickly increase their dosage, both of which are benefits of smoking and vaping.
At Delta 8 Resellers, we stock a wide variety of Delta 8 products. That means you can try out a variety of different types, brands, and formulations to find the option that best addresses your needs. Because we only carry the industry’s leading brands and share lab reports for each product, you can count on quality each and every time you make a purchase.
Shop our Delta 8 products today!
