Delta-8- and Delta-9-THC Use Frequency, Use Motives, and Mental Health Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Use of delta-8-THC (“delta-8”) has proliferated after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Yet, research on the mental health effects of this increasingly popular cannabinoid is scant. The current study sought to examine mental health correlates of delta-8 use frequency and motives, investigate whether delta-8 use motives predict use frequency, and compare use motives and problems between delta-8 and traditional cannabis. Participants consisted of 363 self-reported delta-8 users who completed measures of delta-8 use frequency, motives, and problems that were adapted from comparable measures for cannabis, as well as measures of mental health outcomes. Delta-8 use frequency was unrelated to use problems and other mental health outcomes. Delta-8 use frequency was positively associated with social and coping motives, but negatively associated with enhancement and conformity motives. Coping and conformity motives were associated with greater depression, anxiety, insomnia, and delta-8 use problems. Participants were more likely to report coping and enhancement motives for delta-8 use compared to cannabis use, but less likely to report conformity motives. Further longitudinal research is needed to assess causality for associations between delta-8 use frequency, use motives, and mental health outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Delta-8
• THC
• cannabinoids
• mental health
• cannabis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, M. P., upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.