With the legalization of cannabis in more and more states over the past few years, it’s no surprise that cannabis-infused edibles are starting to make their way into dispensaries everywhere. Cookies, brownies, and even different types of beverages are all slowly but surely reaching the mainstream. Most recently, delta-8 THC gummies have been the latest form of THC-infused edibles to hit the market.
Unlike other types of edibles, these gummies have a less potent effect on users because they are made with a less potent strain of THC. As a result, delta-8 THC gummies are currently considered legal on a federal level. Many users prefer this strain of THC because it gives them a more relaxed high and is preferred by those who may not like the intensity of smoking marijuana.
Because of the fact that delta-8 THC gummies are still fairly new, there aren’t many companies out there producing them, and those that are may not always be the most reputable. Luckily, we’ve done all the homework for you and have researched and compiled companies that you can trust and that test their gummies in independent laboratories to make sure that you’re getting the purest form possible of their product.
Best Delta-8 THC Gummies (Top Brands for 2021 Reviewed)
- Area 52 Delta-8 THC Gummies: Best Delta-8 THC Gummies Overall
- Finest Labs Delta-8 THC Gummies: Best Delta-8 THC Gummies for Beginners
- 3Chi Delta-8 THC Gummies: Most Potent Delta-8 Gummies
1. Area 52 Delta-8 THC Gummies
This brand has become a rising star among other delta-8 THC vendors. Their specialty involves making pure delta-8 THC distillate not just in gummies, but also as tinctures and vapes. Area 52’s gummies are a bit more potent than your standard delta-8 THC gummy as each gummy contains 25 mg of delta-8 THC.
On top of being extra potent, these gummies come in three delicious flavors: strawberry, pineapple, and green apple. The best part is that these flavors are created using only natural flavors and sweeteners as opposed to synthetic additives.
If you’re not sure what your limit is dosage-wise, most people tend to eat around one to two gummies throughout the day without any negative side effects. However, it may be best for you to start small and work your way up in dosing.
2. Finest Labs Delta-8 THC Gummies
If you’re feeling cautious about trying delta-8 THC gummies but still want to go for it, then Finest Labs Delta-8 THC gummies are right for you. Unlike Area 52’s gummies, these are lower in potency with only 10 mg of delta-8 THC per gummy.
Industry experts such a Herald Net, The Daily World, and Peninsula Daily News have named Finest Labs among their top Delta 8 THC gummies to get this year.
Because of the low dosage these gummies provide, they are ideal for microdosing and first-time users. These gummies are made with a broad-spectrum hemp extract and strain-specific terpenes that cause the ultimate body high.
3. 3Chi Delta-8 THC Gummies
As far as delta-8 THC gummies companies go, 3Chi has been around since the very beginning. Their experience in the industry means that they’ve also been able to develop more products other than just gummies that contain delta-8 THC.
Tinctures, vapes, gummies, flowers, and moonrocks are sold by 3Chi but come in just one flavor: black raspberry. The potency in these products are 25 mg per item and each product is sold in a pack of either 8 or 16. 3Chi’s products also come in two options: pure delta-8 THC (distillate) and a blend of Delta-8 THC and CBN.
As far as where their products come from and how pure their ingredients are, 3Chi does a pretty great job of disclosing this information.
What Is Delta-8 THC and How Are They Made Into Gummies?
As mentioned earlier, delta-8 THC gummies are similar to cannabis edibles other than the fact that they are made from different strains of THC. The THC found in marijuana is known as delta-9 THC, a close cousin of the delta-8 THC that we’ve been talking about.
Despite the similarity in names, both of these strains are different in their own ways. Both have a double bond but delta-8 THC has it at the eighth carbon chain while delta-9 THC has it at the ninth.
Both delta-8 and 9 THC gummies are made in a similar way. A gummy candy base is infused with the active form of delta-8 or 9 THC, otherwise known as a distillate. This form of THC is a great alternative for those who aren’t fans of inhaling THC or who like to microdose.
What Effects Does Delta-8 THC Have?
Again, delta-8 and delta-9 THC have a lot in common. Both strands of THC can have you feeling euphoric and light, but delta-8 has a much less severe effect. Delta-8 is much more mild than delta 9 but at the same time, you still get psychoactive effects from it.
Delta-8 is preferred over delta-9 by many users who don’t like the feeling of paranoia and anxiety that they get with delta-9 products. This typically happens when the delta-9 THC triggers the user’s sensitivity of CB1 receptors and overall tolerance to marijuana. Since delta-8 is more mild, it doesn’t have these effects on users.
What Type of Dosage Should I Start with?
For the most part, people like to take between 10 and 60 milligrams to get their optimal level of high. If you want to go higher, you can do so without risking the effects of taking too much as you would with delta-9 THC.
Beginners are recommended to start with 10 mg as this is enough to cause significant euphoria and stress relief. If you feel as if you can handle taking a little bit more, try doing so in intervals of 5 mg, which you can do by cutting a 10 mg edible in half.
It’s not advised that you jump into a high dose straight away as you might end up suffering from unwanted side effects such as fatigue and lack of concentration.
Finding the Right Dose for You
Many people choose edibles over other forms of ingesting Delta 8 because of the fact that the dosage can easily be measured. For example, if you want to microdose and coast throughout the day feeling only a little bit intoxicated, a low dose such as 10 mg is the way to go. But if you’re eager to up the ante, taking 20 or more milligrams will get the job done.
Again, cutting your edibles in half or even in quarters is always a good option if you want to go even lower than 10 mg. In order to feel the most at ease, start small before going up with your dosages until you get to a point where you’re comfortable.
Are Delta-8 THC Gummies Safe to Consume?
There have been no studies done that show delta-8 THC has any direct toxic effect on consumers. Neither delta-8 THC nor any other type of THC can cause a fatal overdose. But as with all good things, too much delta-8 THC does have the potential to have some negative side effects.
Possible Delta-8 THC Side Effects
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Dizziness
- Dry eyes
The THC isn’t what you should be worried about, however. What you really need to be looking out for are the synthetic additives and contaminants that are oftentimes found in delta-8 THC.
Things That Can Make Delta-8 THC Gummies Potentially Dangerous
Since delta-8 THC products are still fairly new, not all companies will be certified to sell these products. As a result, you could find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation.
Impurities Found in Delta-8 THC
The hemp and marijuana plants that are used to create the edibles we know and love actually only contain trace amounts of delta-8 THC. This means that there is an insufficient amount required to produce large quantities of distillate.
Although marijuana does have a higher delta-8 THC content than hemp does, using this type of cannabis means that many manufacturers would only be able to sell their products in places where marijuana is legally allowed to be used, whether medicinally or recreationally.
Due to this issue, delta-8 THC manufacturers have managed to find a way to get around this major problem. It involves using a special conversion process to turn CBD into delta-9 THC followed by synthesizing delta-8 THC from it.
This is not an easy process to deal with and it requires a lot of knowledge to complete. Part of the process also involves adding toxic chemicals that will eventually need to be eradicated from the finished product. If not, the product will be contaminated and can be extremely dangerous to the user.
As a way to reassure customers that their products are safe to use, many companies send their products off to be tested by third-party labs for analysis.
Bleaches Used in Delta-8 THC
Believe it or not, some companies are known to try to trick their customers into thinking that they are purchasing a pure product by adding bleach to it. But in reality, pure delta-8 THC takes on a pink tone, meaning that the product has likely been bleached if it doesn’t have that particular pink color.
To make sure that the products you’re consuming haven’t been bleached, take a moment to examine the product’s color and check the manufacturer’s website for third-party lab results.
Is it Legal to Use Delta-8 THC?
Many people don’t know this, but marijuana and hemp are two different types of cannabis. While hemp is not considered to be a controlled substance, marijuana is still on Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act and is illegal on a federal level.
Hemp products can be used legally provided that they contain less than 0.3% of delta-9 THC. Because of the fact that delta-8 THC products fall under these conditions, people assume that these products are legal to sell, buy, and consume.
This is where things get a little bit confusing. The DEA has said that any synthetically extracted products containing “tetrahydrocannabinols” are illegal. However, synthetic production is made in a laboratory using synthetic ingredients, which is not the case for products that come from hemp.
It all comes down to how the DEA decides to interpret the regulations that were set by the recent Farm Bill-, which is the same bill that removed hemp from the controlled substance list. Despite this, many states have already gotten ahead by banning the sale of delta-8 THC products in order to prevent any further confusion. These states include: Alaska Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
What Are the Differences Between Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC?
To put it plainly, delta-8 and delta-9 are two different molecules of THC. Both strains have not just different strengths, but also different side effects.
Differences in Strength
As noted previously, delta-8 THC gives users the same euphoric effects that the delta-9 strain does. However, the delta-8 strain is much less intense, which means that you can easily double up on dosages if you want a more intense effect.
Differences in Side Effects
A lot of people don’t like the anxiety or the feeling of paranoia they get when they use delta-9 THC. In fact, delta-9 is even known to cause symptoms such as increased heart rate, fatigue, and an inability to focus.
The delta-8 THC strain, on the other hand, does not cause anxiety or paranoia and the effects are much more euphoric and smooth.
Differences in Tolerance
Once you start using more and more of a certain substance, your body starts to get used to it. Eventually, you’ll have to take twice as much as you normally would to feel the effects. This is how people build up their tolerance.
Because delta-8 THC isn’t as strong as delta-9 THC, your body tends to build up a tolerance to it more quickly. In order to keep your tolerance low, your best bet would be to take delta-8 THC gummies or other types of edibles in moderation. Try microdosing or cutting up your edibles into smaller pieces to keep yourself from going overboard.
Differences in Legality
Marijuana is still considered illegal in many parts of the country and the world. While many states are starting to legalize it, it will be a while before marijuana is legal on a federal level.
Delta-8 THC, on the other hand, is currently legal in all 50 states, although the legality aspect can be left to interpretation.
How to Get Your Hands on the Best Delta-8 THC Products
If you’ve done enough research to know that you want to try delta-8 THC products for yourself, you may now be left wondering where and how to find the best products. Luckily for you, we know a thing or two about what to look for.
1. Third-Party Lab Reports
This is perhaps the most important thing to look for when checking out all the different options for the best delta-8 THC gummies. What this means is that the manufacturer has sent their product over to a third-party lab to be tested. Because the lab is unrelated to the manufacturer, their findings can be trusted.
If said lab finds out that some of the information that the manufacturer is claiming isn’t true or contaminated in any way, then this will show up on the certificate of analysis. Any company that won’t or can’t provide you with lab results should definitely be avoided.
Some important things to look for as far as lab results go is the potency of the product, whether or not there are any pesticides or contaminants present, and the presence of heavy metals, bleaches, and residual solvents.
2. Reviews
Another thing to look for is user reviews. Here you can find first-hand experiences from delta-8 THC users who can recommend whether or not to use a particular product. Obviously, steer clear of buying products from companies that have many bad reviews from users on their products.
3. Method of Extraction
Be sure that you check whether or not the product you are buying is legal. If the delta-8 THC was extracted from marijuana, chances are that the product is illegal. If it was extracted by hemp, then you’re in the clear.
4. Source
Where the hemp plants are grown is also another thing to look out for. Some of the best hemp in the country comes from specific areas such as Oregon, Colorado, and California.
5. Added Ingredients
Be sure that the product you’re buying is free of any pollutants, harsh chemicals, or any other additives that could affect your health.
Final Thoughts: Which Delta 8 THC Gummies Are The Best?
While still on the rise, delta 8 THC gummies are slowly but surely becoming more and more popular. The fact that they are legal in the US has only helped to increase their popularity, especially amongst marijuana users.
People like delta 8 THC gummies as an alternative to delta 9 THC because of the fact that the effects are much milder than those of delta 9 THC.
When looking for delta 8 THC gummies, be sure to look out for whether or not a company has independent lab reports to make sure you’re getting the purest version of delta 8 THC out there.
