Delta 8 THC has exploded almost as fast as CBD did. But what is Delta 8? Is it made from CBD? How do you get it and where did all the hemp companies get so much of it so fast? Is Converting CBD to Delta 8 THC possible and how do they do it? I'll tell you as we move forward.
I've spent countless hours in the lab over the years working with cannabinoids, and i've found in that time, that if you know a few things about basic chemistry and cannabis, you can do quite a few extraordinary things with cannabinoids and extracts in general.
Can CBD be Converted to Delta 8 THC?
Converting CBD to THC is a lot easier than you might think, as long as you have some basic tools and knowledge, you can do this at home with just a few purchased ingredients.
Delta 8 Conversion SOP (With Solvent)
- Dissolve 1g of CBD in 10ml 0.005molar H2SO4 (conc. sulferic acid) in glacial acetic acid.
- Let solution stand at room temperature for 3 hours (CBD has been converted roughly into 52% delta-9-THC and 2% delta-8-THC by this time)
- After 3 days a mixture of 15% delta-9-THC, 54% delta-8-THC, 10% delta-8-iso-THC and 10% CBD has formed.
- Pour into water (100ml or more) and add sodium bicarbonate cautiously while stirring (it will foam a bit) to raise the pH above 7 (10-15ml of sodium bicarbonate should do)
- Extract with petrol ether, wash with water, evaporate solvent (apply low heat) to get mixture of starting CBD and predominantly delta-9- or delta-8-THC with some other byproducts depending on the reaction time.
- (Optional Step) For purification, chromatograph on silica gel with 1 to 2% ether in petrol ether.
Delta 8 Conversion SOP (Without Solvent)
CBD can also be converted into delta-8-thc and delta-9-THC with anhydrous ZnCl2 at 150° without solvent (perform reaction best in vacuum as product is sensitive to oxidation):
- Heat 0.5g CBD with 0.09g anhydrous ZnCl2 under vacuum with stirring.
- After 2 hours 40 to 50% delta-9-THC and delta-8-thc have formed from the CBD.
Is Delta 8 THC Legal Though?
The legality of Delta 8 is one of those VERY grey area's if you ask the pro's here at Hempvada. If you ask us, the only reason it is not illegal as a type of THC is because its a newly discovered cannabinoid, and to be honest, the government didn't know we could just convert the stuff! With that being said, even though we know the science behind the conversion of CBD to THC at scale, Hempvada will not be delving into those depths until the legalese of the hemp industry has addresses the cannabinoid specifically. According to the farm bill any concentrations of total THC is illegal over 0.3%, that makes delta-8 products technically illegal even though they haven.t been specifically recognized.
We give you this information for educational and home use purposes only. Hempvada does not condone nor partake in the commercial production of hemp based products containing more than 0.3% total THC. Please use this information carefully.