A Nasty High: Experts Sound Alarm Over 'Soup' Of Unknown Compounds In Hemp-Derived THC Products

Unidentified compounds in hemp products are raising safety concerns among experts. Lab executives say compounds are created when hemp-derived cannabinoids convert to delta-8 and delta-9 THC, forming a “soup” of unidentified chemicals. Susan Audino, a chemist and independent consultant, explained to MJBizDaily. "These are chemical side reactions. You can't make one thing without something else being formed as well."

Josh Swider, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, added that there can be up to 60 unknown compounds in hemp products. "Some of them get identified, but all of them are never found. That is telling you that you're now adding other compounds that we never found in cannabis, and now people are smoking it."

CEO of ACT Laboratories, Bob Miller highlighted the issue of a sketchy THC-potency testing business model, a scheme where, "you give me higher potencies, I give you more money for my test, and I can sell it for more. It's a win-win for everybody except the consumer."

Hemp Products: ‘Legislation Doesn’t Care About Science’

Audino stressed the hemp compounds regulatory gap, "Most state regulators are not scientists. Most of them are lawyers, and most state regulators were forced into creating these regulations based on legislation. Legislation doesn't care about science. They just say, ‘Do this. Make it happen.'"

Given this scenario, labs must decide whether to report compounds not initially required to customers. The expert noted that while some clients might show interest, others may ignore non-mandatory information. Ultimately, manufacturers decide whether to ensure these dangerous byproducts stay off the shelves.

"It's the customers of the labs – the product manufacturers – who drive what tests they do or don't want. If regulations are not demanding it or not requiring certain tests, product manufacturers are probably not asking for them."

Miller added, "When a lab tester gets these reactionary ‘soups,' some compounds are more psychoactive than delta-9 THC. What we do is, any peak that we see of appreciable levels, we inform the client what we see. It depends on the client whether they want to understand what it is."

Read Also: Intoxicating Hemp Products Face Regulatory Crackdown Across Multiple States

What’s To Be Done?

Miller noted, "When they start to do that conversion from CBD to delta-8 and delta-9, it's very sloppy. You get a mix of many different components, and many are not yet being identified. The chemistry is not clean."

Building on this, Audino called for stricter regulation, meaning it should be mandatory to test and report. "The U.S. state regulators say, ‘Hey everybody, you need to test all of the oil before it goes into the vape pen.'"

Regulations for lab-produced hemp derivative products vary from state to state. On the side, there’s total non regulation and on the other, products are absolutely banned. Mid-path alternatives include regulating their THC content, adding mandatory testing and banning them from being sold in particular locations. However, there’s still a long way to go to properly understand their content, even for delta-9 products.

Some manufacturers do not care about the hemp derived products that are produced in the lab. Although these chemicals might be contaminating the final product. This situation puts the labs in a difficult position.

"The laboratory is the unsuspecting entity in the middle with the moral and ethical conundrum," Audino said.

But, according to Miller, the moral balance is in disequilibrium. "I honestly think 70% to 80% of the labs probably shouldn't be open because they're not necessarily doing it to be a safety lab, but they're doing it for a dollar, and they're willing to do whatever it is to make that dollar."

If you ever wondered why some synthetic THC product gave you a nasty high, this unregulated process might be to blame.

• Read Next: Strategy Shift In The Works? Are Cannabis Giants Getting Into The Hemp Derived-THC Market?

Hemp industry will be a hot topic on the upcoming 19th Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, coming to Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Get your tickets now before prices surge by following this link.

Cover: AI Generated Image