Is Delta-8-THC Use Associated With State-Level Cannabis Policies? A Content Analysis From Different Jurisdictions in...

The United States has seen a rapid increase in the use of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC), a psychoactive compound similar to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC). This study aimed to explore themes in delta-8-THC-related tweets from U.S. jurisdictions with varying cannabis regulations from 2020 to 2022.

Tweets mentioning delta-8-THC were collected using the following search terms: D8, Delta-8, and Delta8 THC. The tweets were date-restricted from January 21, 2020, to May 31, 2022, resulting in 139,843 tweets. The final data set included 61,800 U.S. tweets with complete location data. A subset of 1,000 tweets (n = 250 for each legal jurisdiction) was selected for content analysis.

Three main themes related to delta-8-THC emerged across all jurisdictions: "sales and advertising," "policy," and "personal use." In states where cannabis was legal for adult use, sales-themed tweets were most prevalent, promoting product sales and discounts. "Policy" tweets were more common in medical cannabidiol (CBD)-only (34.5%) and fully illegal (24.8%) jurisdictions than in those with legalized medical (20.4%) and adult use (20.2%). Tweets about personal use appeared at similar rates in fully illegal (27.7%), medical (25.0%), medical cannabidiol (CBD)-only (24.5%), and fully legal jurisdictions (22.8%). Reports of adverse effects were frequent in tweets from fully illegal (28.9%), fully legal (27.7%), and medical (27.7%) jurisdictions, with the lowest frequency in medicinal CBD-only (15.6%) jurisdictions.

The current study on the public discourse on Twitter indicates that discussions about the use and marketing of delta-8-THC are present in all U.S. jurisdictions, not just those without legal recreational cannabis markets.