Best Delta 8 THC Gummies: Top Brands, Dosage, & Safety

What Are Delta 8 THC Gummies?

There are two main types of THC. Delta 9 THC is the most common form and is the type people are usually referring to when they talk about THC products.

Delta 8 THC has the same outline but with one slight difference in the chemical structure.

Delta 9 THC has a double bond at the 9th carbon chain; delta 8 has this double bond at the eighth carbon chain instead.

A delta 8 THC gummy is made by infusing the active delta 8 form of THC with a gummy candy base. The gummy texture helps hide the flavor of the THC, makes dosing much easier, and increases the shelf-life of the extract. 

You can also find other types of THC gummies that contain delta 9 THC, delta 10 THC, HHC, and more.

Related: Best CBD Gummies.

What’s The Dose of Delta 8 THC Gummies?

The standard dosage range of delta 8 THC is between 10 and 60 mg.

In general, delta 8 is half as strong as delta 9 — so you can roughly double your normal dose of THC you would normally take to find the ideal dose of the delta 8 form.

A 10 mg dose is usually enough to cause mild psychoactive effects. This is the best dose to start at if you’re trying it for the first time.

Once you’re familiar with how delta 8 THC works for your body, you can modify the dose and take a little more. Most people will add about 5 mg per dose until they find what works best for them.

You don’t want to jump straight in with a high dose on your first try in case you’re sensitive to the compound. You can always take more, but you can’t take any away once you’ve eaten the gummy. Taking too much can lead to side effects and may be uncomfortable for those who aren’t used to it.

How to Modify Doses With Delta 8 THC Gummies

Gummies come in fixed doses. This is one of their primary benefits. If you have a gummy containing 10 mg of D8 THC, you know that every piece will have exactly the same amount. There’s no measuring or calculating necessary.

If you’re looking for a modified dose, you can always cut gummies into halves or even quarters for a smaller dose.

For example, if you’re looking to take a 10 mg dose of delta 8 THC, but your gummies contain 20 mg each — simply cut them in half for two 10 mg pieces.

There are plenty of times where you may want to do this. For example, let’s say you just took a 20 mg gummy and are feeling the effects but want them to be just a little bit stronger. Rather than taking another full 20 mg dose — which could make the effects too intense — you may want to cut the gummies into halves or quarters for a 5 or 10 mg dose instead.

Using this technique, you can dial the effects of your gummies just as precisely as you would with a conventional delta 8 THC tincture.

Are Delta 8 THC Gummies Safe?

Delta 8 THC itself is safe. There have never been any studies to suggest otherwise.

Even very high doses of delta 8 THC or its near-identical twin, delta 9 THC, have never resulted in overdose or death.

The primary danger to be aware of when it comes to delta 8 THC isn’t the compound itself — but the potential for adulterants and contaminants in the gummies.

Contaminants in Delta 8 THC

Delta 8 THC is not manufactured by the cannabis plant. It’s made as a natural byproduct of delta 9 THC as it breaks down. Most of the THC breaks down into another cannabinoid, called CBN (cannabinol), but a small percentage from the delta 8 version instead.

This means that marijuana plants contain only trace amounts of delta 8 THC, and hemp contains virtually no trace of this cannabinoid. There isn’t enough in its natural form inside the plant to be of any meaningful use.

To sidestep both of these issues, most companies will convert the much more abundant cannabinoid, CBD into delta 8 THC through a process called isomerization.

This process isn’t very complicated but requires some know-how on behalf of the lab technicians to remove the added chemicals from the final product safely. Some steps require toxic ingredients such as hydrochloric acid and organic solvents.

Manufacturers with poor integrity for quality control may overlook some of these steps and allow some of these toxic elements to remain in the final product. This, of course, is going to bring inherent danger.

The only way to ensure the final product is free from all of these contaminants is to test it using analysis techniques like mass spectrometry or gas chromatography. This should always be done in a third-party lab to provide unbiased and trustworthy results.

Is Delta 8 THC Legal?

The federal government differentiates cannabis into two different plants — hemp and marijuana.

Marijuana is illegal on a federal level due to the presence of the psychoactive compound THC. The specific form of THC mentioned is the delta 9 form — there’s no mention of delta 8 THC on the federal bill, which many people take to mean it’s legal.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. The regulations go on to further state that any synthetic THC derivatives are also illegal — which may include delta 8 THC. At the moment, delta 8 THC lives in a legal grey area — some lawyers argue it’s completely legal, others interpret the opposite. Ultimately, it comes down to how the DEA interprets these laws — which has yet to be officially determined.

There are several states that have specifically banned delta 8 THC — including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, and Mississippi.

Related: Is delta 8 THC legal?

What’s The Difference Between Delta 8 THC & Delta 9 THC?

To summarize the differences between these two compounds, let’s break them up into three categories:

D8 vs. D9: Legality

Delta 9 THC is clearly illegal on a federal level — only specific states allow the sale and possession of THC in all forms.

Delta 8 THC lives in a grey area. It could be interpreted as legal, but it could also be interpreted as illegal.

D8 vs. D9: Potency

Delta 8 THC has the same intoxicating effects as delta 9 but roughly half the strength. This means you’ll need to take about twice as much delta 8 THC to get the same intensity of effects.

D8 vs. D9: Side-Effects

The most common and uncomfortable side-effects of THC are rapid heart rate, anxiety, and paranoia.

One of the biggest advantages of using delta 8 THC instead of the conventional delta 9 form is the significantly reduced incidence of all three of these side effects. This is the main reason why so many people are using the delta 8 form over delta 9. They can enjoy all the benefits THC has to offer — such as reduced pain, improvements in sleep quality, muscle relaxation, etc. — without feeling panicked and anxious.

What To Look For When Shopping For Delta 8 THC Gummies

We’ve only been able to vet the vendors listed at the top of this article, but if you’d like to try a brand not mentioned here, it’s important to know what to look for while you shop.

The delta 8 THC space can be daunting if you’re not sure what to look for, so we’ve highlighted the four key factors to consider while you shop. The most important, by far, is the first point.

1. Third-Party Testing

This is undeniably the most important consideration to make when shopping for delta 8 THC. Check our delta 8 THC do not buy list for a detailed breakdown of companies that either don’t provide sufficient testing for their products.

A third-party lab is defined as a testing facility that has no affiliation with the manufacturer. This is the only way to ensure an unbiased test result. If the company finds impurities, they’ll declare them on the report. They’re usually regulated by associations in their own industry to ensure they’re following all the rules and providing accurate testing.

These tests are the best way to prove that what a company is claiming for its products is true.

We don’t expect you to be an expert on interpreting lab tests, but you should at least check that all the tests are present on the company’s website. If you don’t see any tests available or some of the tests listed below are missing, it’s a good idea to either reach out to the company for more information or move along to another brand that offers these tests.

The most important third-party tests to look for include:

• Potency — assesses the total concentration of delta 8 THC, delta 9 THC, and various other cannabinoids
• Heavy metal analysis — checks for the presence of heavy metals (either a pass/fail or provides specific ppm of each element)
• Residual solvent tests — checks the sample for the presence of organic solvents such as butane, hexane, or others
• Microbial contaminants — checks the sample for bacterial or fungal organisms
• Pesticides — this test checks for several of the most common and problematic pesticides involved in the production of cannabis

2. Company Reputation

The delta 8 industry is very new, so most of the companies in this space haven’t been around long enough to have a notably good or bad reputation.

However, delta 8 THC has a strong community behind it on places like Reddit. A lot of these users will leave reviews about the companies they order from online.

There are a lot of scam cannabis companies taking advantage of the immaturity of the industry at the moment. Our list of brands we recommend avoiding is much longer than our list of recommended brands for this reason. It’s common for companies to sell low-grade products at a premium and then spam fake reviews for their own products on Reddit or other public forums.

It’s important to read more than one review for a company — especially on forums. Just as unethical companies will write fake positive reviews about their own products, they’ll often write fake negative reviews about competitors.

3. Other Ingredients

There are several different ways to make delta 8 gummies. The most common is to simply infuse the delta 8 THC distillate with a gelatin gummy base along with some fruity flavorings.

There are some companies that use a cellulose base instead and natural flavoring agents to keep their gummies more vegan-friendly and natural.

Gummies are a very simple product — there’s no need to add dozens of different chemicals for the gummy to have a good flavor and consistency. Yet some companies are adding all kinds of strange things to their gummies anyway. It’s a good idea to check the ingredients list before you buy to make sure there are no strange additives.

4. Check The Delta 9 THC Content

Most delta 8 THC gummies advertise having a very low concentration of delta 9 THC in order to keep them legal. For these products, double-check the lab tests to make sure this is true because if the delta 9 THC content is too high, you may be mistakenly ordering illegal products.

Some companies aren’t even trying to keep delta 9 THC levels low, and it’s actually pretty normal to find concentrations as high as 15% in the final product. These products are only legal in states that have recreational marijuana laws in effect.

Final Thoughts: What Are The Best Delta THC Gummies For 2021?

Delta 8 THC is all the rage these days. It’s popular for its more mild psychoactive effects compared to conventional THC products and for its lower propensity for causing anxiety.

The two most common forms of delta 8 are gummies and cartridges.

When shopping for delta 8 THC gummies, always look for evidence that the company is testing every batch of product in a third-party lab to prove their products are free from contaminants like heavy metals or solvents that may have been picked up during the manufacturing process.

If you’re looking for a quick recommendation for a brand that offers high-quality, third-party tested products — check out the selection offered by Area 52 or 3Chi.