Janesville police: Local residents finding legal pot with Delta-8-THC on market

Neil Johnson, The Janesville Gazette, Wis.
·2 min read

Apr. 3—JANESVILLE — Janesville police say authorities have had reports stores are marketing legal cannabis products with an intoxicating ingredient that's similar to Delta-9-THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana.

In an alert, the police department says it has learned local residents are able to buy cannabis products with the chemical Delta-8-THC, a tetrahydrocannabinoid that's legal and less potent, but similar, to the active ingredient in pot.

Unlike Delta-9-THC, which is still federally prohibited for recreational use and remains illegal in Wisconsin, Delta-8-THC is "currently legal," police said.

The department did not say whether it had learned of any retailers in Janesville who are actively selling Delta-8-THC products.

Police said cannabis with Delta-8-THC is reported to be milder in its effects than Delta-9-THC, but it is still reported to cause intoxication in users unlike hemp-based cannabidiol, or CBD, which is legal and does not cause intoxication.

And unlike so-called synthetic cannabinoids which contain unknown chemicals that can mimic the active ingredient of marijuana, Delta-8-THC is a naturally occuring cannabinoid.

Police have reports that some residents report the products, including gummy candies, vaping oils, chewables and leaves, have "extremley high concentrations of Delta-8-THC that can lead to adverse health effects and impairment."

Police said that it may be legal sell Delta-8-THC, but consumption can cause impairment, and police suggest that driving under the influence of Delta-8-THC could lead to arrests for intoxicated driving.

Police said blood and urine tests can show the presence of Delta-8-THC.

A June 2020 opinion from the Wisconsin Legislative Council provided an opinion that Delta-8-THC is currently legal under rules that govern legal use hemp, a cousin to marijuana, but the opinion did not touch on the topic of Delta-8-THC use and driving.

Hemp is allowed to be grown and used in products for human consumption as long as the plants contain less than trace amounts of the psychoactive Delta-9-THC.

It's not clear if police have cited anyone for driving under the influence of Delta-8-THC.

The department said people who have substance addiction problems should call the Janesville police at contact the Janesville Police Department at (608)755-3157 for a list of resources.