The steady global trend toward marijuana legalization has consequently intensified research into a plant whose therapeutic claims were once purely anecdotal. These studies have revealed certain interesting aspects of the herb, including that not all its compounds are inherently intoxicating.
Manufacturers have also come up with more fancy ways to consume cannabis besides traditional delivery systems like smoking. Today, you can find weed in oral tinctures, vape products like e-juices, edible goods like gummies, and even cosmetic products like sunscreens.
This article looks at innovative cannabis products known as delta-8 carts. Read on for a beginner’s guide into what delta-8 carts are and how to make the most of these products.
What Are Delta-8 Carts?
Until a few years ago, cannabis products were available primarily as smokable blends and partly as oral tinctures. Well, not anymore. Today, you can find marijuana in various formulations, including vape products like delta-8 carts.
But while there are numerous places where you could buy delta 8 carts, it’s important to begin by understanding these products before trying them out. The best way to define delta-8 carts is to split the term into two parts – ‘delta-8’ and ‘carts.’
What Is Delta-8?
Cannabis has been used medicinally from time immemorial. The plant derives its therapeutic properties from a group of naturally-occurring compounds known as phytocannabinoids or cannabinoids.
Studies have found over 100 phytocannabinoids in marijuana. However, research has largely focused on only two compounds – cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Like other cannabinoids in weed, cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol contain powerful medicinal properties. But the compounds differ significantly in their overall psychedelic effects. Cannabidiol possesses no mind-altering effects, while tetrahydrocannabinol is both psychoactive and intoxicating. THC is the compound in marijuana that produces most of the plant’s psychedelic reactions.
Tetrahydrocannabinol also differs from most cannabinoids in terms of its occurrence. The compound naturally occurs in several isomers. Noteworthy ones include delta-9, delta-8, delta-10, and delta-7.
So, by definition, delta-8 (short for delta-8 THC and delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol) is essentially an isomer of tetrahydrocannabinol. Isomers are compounds that share identical chemical formulas but differ in their molecular structures.
What Are Carts?
The term “cart” is short for “cartridge.” It’s commonly used, concerning cannabis and herbal blends, to denote vaporizers with special tube-like structures where you administer the vape oil. Vape oils are alternatively known as vape juices, e-juices, or e-liquids.
Vape cartridges may be called liquid cartridges to differentiate them from other common vaporizer types, such as dry herb vaporizers and wax pens.
Based on the above separate definitions, we can define delta-8 carts as liquid cartridges used to vape delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol oil.
How to Use Delta-8 Carts?
Delta-8 carts can be classified as single-use/disposable or recyclable/reusable.
Single-use delta-8 carts come pre-filled with delta-8 e-juice. These vapes typically also include a pre-charged battery. You basically dispose of them as soon as the liquid cartridge or battery runs dry, whichever comes earlier.
Reusable delta-8 vapes, on the other hand, allow you to use them for a considerably longer duration before needing to dispose of them. All you need to do is refill the cartridge and recharge the battery as needed.
The first step in using delta-8 carts is establishing whether your device is disposable or reusable. Then, proceed as follows;
- Ensure the vape cart contains enough e-juice and battery charge.
- Power the device by pressing the power button located on its side (for reusable vape carts) or by taking a deep draw (for disposable vapes)
- Allow for a few seconds for vapor to form in the heating chamber.
- Inhale through the mouthpiece.
- Remember to turn your delta-8 cart off after every vaping session.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Delta-8 Carts?
Delta-8 is basically a derivative of tetrahydrocannabinol. Therefore, the compound shares the same therapeutic properties as its parent cannabinoid – THC.
Pain relief is the biggest reason people use medical cannabis products. Delta-8 carts may treat pain by stimulating certain pathways in the central nervous system (CNS) known for blocking pain signals from being sent to the brain.
Delta-8 carts may also soothe muscle and joint inflammation. According to one research, tetrahydrocannabinol might ease inflammation by decreasing the production of the body’s chief inflammatory markers – cytokines and chemokines. Suffice it to say that these anti-inflammatory effects apply to all THC derivatives, including delta-8.
Nausea is another common medical problem you can address by vaping delta-8 THC. Delta-8 relieves nausea through its positive interactions with various feel-good neurotransmitters, such as serotonin.
You could also invest in delta-8 carts if you struggle with stress and anxiety. Studies have revealed that tetrahydrocannabinol might ease all the primary symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These include nightmares, flashbacks to agitation, irritability, and depression. Besides PTSD, you could also use delta-8 carts to manage other common anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder (SAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The fact that delta-8 carts may help manage stress and anxiety speaks to their potential efficacy against insomnia. That’s because stress and sleeplessness usually share a cause-effect relationship. Besides, certain trials found that administering THC before bedtime could shorten sleep latency. Further research indicates that THC, and delta-8, might improve breathing during sleep. That makes it a potential treatment for sleep apnea, a sleep disorder marked by irregular breathing patterns during sleep.
Will Delta-8 Carts Get Me High?
Delta-8 THC is a derivative of the most psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that this compound also possesses mind-altering properties.
However, the psychedelic effects of delta-8 are far mellower than those of its more popular cousin – delta-9 THC. Most users associate the compound with mental relaxation and enhanced creativity. That’s in stark contrast to delta-9, which could easily trigger psychosis and hallucinations.
However, it’s worth noting that delta-8 is biphasic. In other words, the compound generally produces positive effects at smaller doses and adverse reactions at very high doses.
Are Delta-8 Carts Legal?
According to the 2018 Farm Bill passage, Delta-8 is federally legal if it’s hemp-derived and contains no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC. That’s great news considering that industrially prepared delta-8 products mostly come from hemp as opposed to marijuana.
While “cannabis” and “marijuana” denote the same in their broader context, ‘marijuana’ may also refer to cannabis variants that possess the most intoxicating properties. Hemp, on the other hand, produces cannabinoids with milder psychoactive properties.
Final Word
Vape cartridges offer a fancy way to consume delta-8 THC and other cannabis compounds. We hope you can now shop for these products from the point of information. Just remember to conduct your due diligence and establish that you can legally access delta-8 carts in your jurisdiction.