Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC, THC-O, THCP, and THCV: What Should We Call These Products?
Matthew E Rossheim, Cassidy R Loparco, Doug Henry, Pamela J Trangenstein, Scott T Walters
Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs May 1, 2023 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.23-00008 via PubMed
Summary
Since the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill created what some call a legal loophole in cannabis regulation, many new psychoactive cannabinoid products have appeared, along with inconsistent terminology to describe them. The authors propose the term "derived psychoactive cannabis products" to classify these substances. "Derived" distinguishes them from naturally grown cannabis, "psychoactive" clarifies their effects, and "cannabis products" avoids the racist origins of the word "marijuana." The term aims to be broad enough to cover all related products yet specific enough to exclude other substances. Adopting consistent terminology would reduce confusion and strengthen scientific literature.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 41 |
| Key finding | The authors recommend the term "derived psychoactive cannabis products" to accurately and consistently classify the range of psychoactive cannabinoid products that have proliferated since the 2018 Farm Bill. |
Abstract
The 2018 U.S. Federal Agriculture Improvement Act ("Farm Bill") resulted in what some have called a "legal loophole" in cannabis regulation. As different types of cannabis products proliferate, so has the terminology used to attempt to categorize them. This article presents a variety of potential descriptors to encourage dialogue about the language used to classify the multitude of psychoactive cannabinoid products that have grown in popularity since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Our recommended term for these products is derived psychoactive cannabis products. The term derived helps distinguish these products from naturally grown cannabis products. Psychoactive makes clear that these products can produce psychoactive effects. Finally, cannabis products balances accuracy and understandability regarding the substance while discouraging perpetuation of the word marijuana because of its racist inception. The resulting term, derived psychoactive cannabis products, is broad enough to encapsulate all related products while being specific enough to exclude other substances. Adopting accurate and consistent terminology will reduce confusion and help establish a more cohesive scientific literature base.