The world of hemp-derived products has been nearly impossible to keep up with over the past year. Not too long ago, CBD was the main center of attention regarding the therapeutic use of hemp-derived oils and extracts. While CBD is still very much relevant in terms of the overall hemp and cannabis industries, a variety of new ‘alternative’ cannabinoids have recently popped up and are essentially overhauling the hemp market.
In a nutshell, companies are taking a raw extract from hemp plants (which are legal in the USA thanks to the U.S. Farm Bill) and chemically changing them to produce a range of cannabinoids that have very different effects compared to CBD. Some of these ‘new’ cannabinoids include delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and most recently, THC-O.
THC-O is perhaps the most talked about of the new alternative compounds because (by most accounts) it is far more potent than ‘regular’ cannabis-derived THC. Some users say the effects of THC-O are up to three times stronger than that of regular delta-9 THC.
A Man-Made Cannabinoid With No Scientific Research
THC-O does not occur naturally in any strain of cannabis. It is a man-made cannabinoid that is synthetically produced by chemically altering the structure of CBD hemp oil. Since its effects are similar to delta-9 THC, however (albeit far stronger), some people question whether or not THC-O can treat diseases in the same way that medical cannabis does.
The short and simple answer is, no one knows yet. There has been virtually zero scientific study on the health effects of THC-O, so consumers should not trust as a viable alternative to any sort of THC-based medical cannabis product. Furthermore, there are no known safety reports or manufacturing guidelines when it comes to the production of THC-O products. The market is still very much in its infancy, which is why it’s important to keep a close eye on further developments before you start to consider ‘non-natural’ cannabinoids part of a realistic wellness plan.
CBD Hemp Oil: Why Nothing Else Compares
At this point in time, CBD has been an established hemp-derived wellness product for going on the better part of a decade. What was once initially written off as a health fad, CBD oils and other products manufactured from CBD hemp oil are proving to be a viable daily wellness routine for millions of people across the globe.
And most importantly, unlike THC-O and other alternative cannabinoids, CBD hemp oil has literally thousands of studies to go off that support its range of therapeutic uses and wellness effects. For this reason, CBD oils are still far and away the superior option for individuals that want to try and improve their health and wellness naturally through hemp.
And, despite what some of these new companies might be marketing to you, CBD oil sales are still through the roof and increasing every year – proving that the market is still strong and that millions of people rely on CBD oils every day of their lives to increase both their mental and physical wellness.
So… Where Do We Go From Here?
Despite the ongoing popularity of products like CBD oils and CBD hemp oil, it is still very much worth paying attention to the new market that’s emerging in the form of alternative cannabinoids. It’s not that these cannabinoids are inherently unsafe or ineffective, it’s just that we don’t have scientific research to understand them in the way we do with CBD oils.
Also, unlike CBD which does not produce a psychoactive high, many of the new alternative cannabinoids, including delta-8, delta-10, and THC-O, do in fact produce mind-altering effects. This is due to the chemical manipulation of the hemp extract, which does not produce mind-altering effects naturally.
Whatever avenue you choose to go down on your natural wellness journey, CBD hemp oil and other types of CBD oils still appear to be the industry standard in terms of safety, reliability, and effectiveness. Whether or not this shifts in the coming years, remains to be seen and will largely be determined on scientific research, as well as legal implications concerning the psychoactive effects of non-CBD, hemp-derived cannabinoids.
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