How is Delta-8 THC Made?
If you’re just finding out about Delta 8 THC, you probably have a lot of questions. Delta 8 THC has been making waves in the hemp community since 2020, and many people don’t know much about it. Many people are concerned that it could be the newest man-made cannabis and wondering is Delta 8 THC synthetic or natural?
Delta 8 THC is not a synthetic cannabinoid and is found naturally in the hemp plant. Its production process is straightforward and has been used for years to extract other natural cannabinoids from hemp.
Naturally Grown Delta 8 THC
Delta 8 THC is found in relatively small quantities in the hemp plant compared to many other cannabinoids. The farmers that cultivate hemp plants have spent years breeding them to express specific cannabinoids. The main cannabinoids that these farmers focused on were Delta 9 THC and CBD.
Because Delta 8 THC information was relatively low until recently, cannabis plants were not bred to express more Delta 8 THC over the years. Getting your hands on hemp with high levels of CBD or Delta 9 THC is very easy in today's growing market, but Delta 8 THC is another story.
With the expanding consumer interested in Delta 8 THC, more and more hemp farmers have started focusing on this cannabinoid. However, these plants’ genetics are still very new, and many breeders don’t have a good solution for high Delta 8 content raw hemp.
Where Does Delta 8 THC Come From?
Throughout the country, the hemp market has been expanding rapidly and not just in states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal. There are hemp farms in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and even Texas now!
With the massive amount of hemp being grown throughout the country, acquiring hemp to extract its cannabinoids has never been easier. Extraction labs around the country have opened their doors for the growing hemp industry. Many of these labs were started to extract specifically CBD from the hemp plant but have expanded their technology to other cannabinoids.
Many hemp farms and professional extraction companies led us to the perfect environment for Delta 8 THC extraction.
Who is Extracting Delta 8 THC?
One of the benefits of having an extensive infrastructure built around hemp farming and extraction is that Delta 8 THC’s extraction becomes feasible.
Because there is so little Delta 8 THC in naturally grown hemp, extraction only becomes viable if more than just Delta 8 THC can be extracted from the plant. The labs that do this extraction have complex machinery that is precise enough to remove individual cannabinoids while leaving the others intact for extraction.
Many of the laboratories that do Delta 8 THC extraction can also extract CBD, CBG, CBN, THCV, and many more from a single plant. Their ability to do this makes it so every part of the hemp plant can be utilized to its fullest potential.
How is Delta 8 THC Extracted?
These laboratories use CO2 (carbon dioxide) to break the plant down chemically. CO2 is what is known as a solvent and is a massive boon for the cannabis industry. Before CO2 was used, butane was used as the solvent of choice and led to many issues.
CO2 is a clean solvent and completely evaporates once the extraction process is complete. On the other hand, Butane leaves behind a residue that could be harmful to the people using these extracts.
Butane also leads to many other problems in the manufacturing process. Extraction facilities that use butane as their solvent have to deal with additional safety measures due to its flammability. Several extraction facilities that used butane have gone up in flames due to its instability and flammability.
Complex machinery operated by qualified chemists can isolate specific compounds through pressurization, heating, and cooling. These extraction machines have separate chambers where different chemical processes occur and are calibrated for the cannabinoid desired.
Delta 8 THC is no different in this regard than any other cannabinoid being extracted from hemp. Once the machine has been calibrated to extract Delta 8 THC, raw hemp is run through the process, and pure Delta 8 THC comes out the other side.
If you've ever used a CBD product (other than raw CBD flower), you have experienced the results of this process. Pretty cool, right?
Other Means of Delta 8 THC Production
There is another method that Delta 8 THC can be “made” through the conversion of other cannabinoids. This process is in a legal grey area, and Hometown Hero only uses naturally extracted Delta 8 THC directly from hemp and not Delta 8 that has been converted.
The process of creating Delta 8 THC from other cannabinoids is relatively simple. The general idea is that once CBD is extracted from the hemp plant, this CBD is then put through an additional process that changes its chemical composition to Delta 8 THC.
While this form of Delta 8 THC still shares the chemical structure of naturally extracted Delta 8 THC, it is unclear if any differences could be harmful that are unknown at this time. Because Delta 8 THC is still very new to the broader market, the effects of natural Delta 8 THC vs. converted Delta 8 THC are still unknown.
Buy Naturally Extracted Delta 8 THC
All of Hometown Hero’s Delta 8 THC products are naturally extracted from hemp grown right here in the USA. We know precisely what farms and extraction companies our Delta 8 THC comes from to verify every step of the process.
When you purchase Delta 8 from Hometown Hero, you can rest assured knowing the product you’re using is 100% legal and natural. We also include 3rd party lab test results on every package (otherwise known as certificate of analysis or COA) to verify you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for.
Checkout Hometown Hero’s full selection of Delta 8 products today and find out why we’re the number one choice for Delta 8 THC!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out anytime! We’re always happy to help and are known for having the best customer service in the industry
