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.
Delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance from the Cannabis plant, has become popular in the US since the 2018 Farm Bill implicitly legalized it. A scoping review of 103 documents found that people often use delta-8 THC as a substitute for other substances. Anecdotally, it is less potent than delta-9 THC, but negative consequences have been reported. There is no federal age restriction for purchase, and products are readily accessible online, typically less expensive than delta-9 THC, and often marketed in ways appealing to children. No regulations on synthesis lead to contaminated products and inconsistent effects. Thousands of calls to US poison control centers have been due to accidental exposure among minors. Most research is anecdotal and not peer-reviewed.