Robert McCoppin
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO â In a warehouse outside Chicago, a crop of hemp grows to produce a controversial substance that some people call âweed light.â
The plants fall under the same Cannabis sativa species that produce marijuana. But like all legal hemp, they have been bred to contain less than .3% delta-9-THC, the main ingredient that gets users stoned. Instead, the hemp is used to produce the popular supplement CBD, and a derivative called delta-8-THC â said to give users a milder high without brain fog or anxiety.
In the past year, delta-8-THC products have become commonly sold in gas stations, smoke shops and on the internet. The products are unregulated, and tests have shown that some contain contaminants like pesticides or metals, and little delta-8 or too much delta-9.