Consuming unregulated “diet weed”: The social context of motivations and risk among users of Delta-8 THC

Abstract

A relatively novel, laboratory-produced, hemp-derived psychoactive cannabinoid called “Delta-8 THC” has become widely available to consumers since 2020. Lack of federal oversight and a loose patchwork of regulations by states have resulted in numerous “adverse events” reported by poison control centers and the CDC, and even warnings from the industry itself. Yet consumer demand for cannabinoids like Delta-8 THC has risen sharply. Published social science studies of Delta-8 THC use are in their infancy and have yet to document the social context of use, consumer preferences and motivations, behaviors, embodied experiences, perceptions of risk, and risk mitigation. We conducted 25 in-depth, qualitative interviews with consumers of Delta-8 THC to give insight into consumer practices and preferences. Data show that consumers of Delta-8 are aware of supply chain vulnerabilities but deploy personal calculations of risk-benefit and personal strategies of risk mitigation to reduce perceived threats.