Delta 10 vs Delta 8 Strains

Getting cannabis products might seem simple at first, but the more you learn about cannabis the more complicated it can be to choose the right product for you and your goals. 

Not only are there differences between individual products, like the effect of isolate tinctures vs broad spectrum tinctures, but there are also significant differences between strains of cannabis and the different types of strain as well. 

A lot of people don’t go much further than figuring out whether they prefer indica, sativa, or hybrid strains, but there is more to choosing the right strain of cannabis for your needs than that. The cannabis plant offers a lot of different compounds in different ratios, and those compounds can lead to different levels of pain relief and psychoactive properties. 

One of the ways you can predict how cannabis and cannabis products will work for you is by looking at the differences between Delta 10 vs Delta 8 strains. Here’s what you need to know. 

Delta 10 vs Delta 8 - What Are The Key Differences?

The first thing you need to know is that Delta 10 and Delta 8 are both slightly different types of THC. Like all THC, both types of cannabis are psychoactive, but they do have slightly different effects. 

Delta 8 THC is often more popular with people who are looking for psychoactive effects like feeling euphoric, high, or reducing negative feelings. Delta 10 THC is often more popular with people who are looking to destress, which can be helpful for people who are using cannabis to help with depression or anxiety. 

While both can affect your judgment and coordination, Delta 8 THC tends to have a stronger effect. 

What Types of THC Are Stronger In Cannabis Plants?

One of the reasons that different kinds of THC aren’t as commonly talked about is that most cannabis has a higher concentration of Delta 9 THC than either Delta 10 or Delta 8 THC. Most of the time when people talk about THC they are going to be thinking about Delta 9 THC, since that is the highest concentration and makes the biggest difference in how cannabis affects you. 

All three types of THC interact with your cannabinoid receptors and can have a similar effect. All three will make you feel intoxicated. However, the stronger effects of Delta 8 THC have started to make it more popular, which means that growers have started to prioritize Delta 8 THC to encourage it in the plants. 

That said, there are some safety concerns about Delta 8 THC, since the stronger effects could make the drug more dangerous for some users, and could also make it harder for cannabis users to predict the effects of their cannabis products. 

Does Delta 8 and Delta 10 THC Occur Naturally? 

Yes, though both Delta 10 and Delta 8 are generally only found in trace amounts in natural plants. The trick is that these forms of THC are usually only 1% or less of the total cannabinoid load in any plant. That’s less than most of the other cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp plants. In fact, the concentrations are so small that it can be difficult to extract these forms of THC from natural sources. 

That’s why most Delta 10 and Delta 8 products right now are artificially produced in labs, using other cannabinoid products as a building block for creating both Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC. That means that most of the Delta 10 and Delta 8 products on the market are going to be in things like tinctures, resins, waxes, and other more processed products. These forms of THC can also sometimes be found in other vape products.

Does Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC Interact With Different Cannabinoid Receptors? 

Yes, though there haven’t been a lot of studies on the particular effects of Delta 10 THC. Delta 8 THC interacts with both your CB1 and CB2 receptors. That's part of why it feels stronger to a lot of people. It also has a stronger effect on pain for people who are taking cannabis for pain or related medical conditions. 

It also tends to create a more intense sensation than Delta 9, or standard THC, which is part of why it’s being targeted both by growers, to increase the amount of Delta 8 THC in the plants. While we don’t know precisely which cannabinoid receptors Delta 10 THC interacts with, anecdotally it’s a more relaxed high. We also think that it interacts with the same CB1 and CB2 receptors. For people who prefer indica over sativa strains, Delta 10 THC might feel a bit more similar to Indica strains. 

However, Delta 10 is noted for being more of an energizing high, while Indica strains of cannabis usually make you fall asleep faster. In testing, Delta 10 THC is also slightly less psychoactive than Delta 9 THC. That said, because there are only small differences between the types of THC, they can have a lot of the same medical benefits. Both can be helpful for chronic pain, relaxing, taking the edge off anxiety, or dealing with other medical complications. The differences are more in the details of how you feel. 

Can Delta 8 or Delta 10 THC Make Me Fail a Drug Test?

Yes. Both Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC can make you fail a drug test. When it comes to Delta 10 vs Delta 8, neither type of THC is more or less likely to make you fail a test. Because THC is the compound that most drug tests are looking for when they are testing for cannabis use, both can show up on a drug test. 

That said, CBD, or cannabidiol, usually doesn’t show up on drug tests. It’s not psychoactive and has been legalized federally for its uses in controlling pain and anxiety. So, if you need a cannabis product to help with those problems but are worried about potential drug testing, it can be a good option. Generally speaking, any cannabis product that can get you high can show up on a drug test. 

Can Delta 10 or Delta 8 Be Found In Hemp?  

One of the biggest differences between hemp and cannabis is whether or not the plants produce THC. Hemp plants don’t produce THC, but they do normally produce CBD. 

Even though Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC are both artificially created to increase the concentration from the trace amounts in cannabis plants, it would make sense that the process couldn’t be done with hemp because of the lack of naturally occurring THC. However, hemp-derived CBD can be used to create Delta 10 THC. 

That said, making THC from hemp doesn’t make it more legal than THC derived from cannabis plants. THC is still federally illegal, and the legal status in your home state can vary. The legal status of altered forms of THC is also complicated and may change in the future. 

Does Delta 10 & Delta 8 THC Have FDA Approval? 

The legal status of any cannabis product is a little tricky still. Medical cannabis has been approved for a variety of treatments, including back pain, helping cancer patients manage the symptoms of the disease as well as chemo and other treatments. It can also be particularly useful for treating epileptic conditions. 

CBD can also sometimes be used to help with epileptic conditions, as well as soothing some of the symptoms of Parkinson's' and even helping some patients with the symptoms of dementia. However, outside of medical uses of cannabis, and outside of the approved medical conditions for medical cannabis, cannabis is still federally illegal. 

Alternative forms of THC, like both Delta 10 and Delta 8, also don’t fall under medical use in most cases, so those specific products aren’t likely to be included in a medical dispensary. 

In the states where recreational cannabis is legal, Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC products are also legal. However, without FDA approval, specific information on the safety, differences in the effects, and the other benefits of each form are less well known so far. There is some risk that modified THC might be federally regulated separately from other cannabis products. 

There is one more complication in the legal status of Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC, which is why you might have noticed that these cannabis products are being sold in gas stations and grocery stores. As long as the THC is derived from hemp-based CBD, and is below the required concentration, it’s legal to sell even in states where other THC products aren’t legal. 

The concentration of the THC has to be less than 0.3% by dry weight. That’s a very small percentage, and not normally enough to cause a noticeable high because of how little THC is in the product. At the same time, some states are starting to take legal action to limit the legal sale of Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC, so you might not be able to find these products even if you’ve seen them around before. 

Medical Benefits of Delta 10 vs Delta 8 THC

Neither of these two types of THC have been studied much, so medical claims about the different types of THC are still relatively unverified. They probably have largely the same medical benefits as other forms of THC, but that information isn’t entirely known. Both short term and long term there might be other problems that are not yet known with these THC variants. 

That said, the opposite is also true. Because these forms of THC have only recently been created in lab settings, and are new to the consumer market, there may be unexpected short and long-term benefits from these forms of THC. Anecdotally, the stress benefits of Delta 10 THC for users combined with the less intense high from this form of THC could be a good option. 

The more intense high reported with Delta 8 THC could be helpful for people who have developed a higher tolerance for Delta 9 THC, or for people who want to stick to a lower dose if possible when they are taking cannabis. 

Can You Get Both Delta 10 & Delta 8 THC In a Single Product?

Yes. There are starting to be a few products that intentionally contain both Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC in a single product, so you can get some of the health benefits and effects from both forms of THC at once. In fact, there are probably some cannabis strains that naturally have trace amounts of both Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC. 

However, because these products are still very new, it’s a good idea to look for products that have a lower amount of both kinds of THC in the product, at least to start. You might also want to try an isolate of Delta 10 or Delta 8 THC before moving on to hybrid products. 

Trying each form of THC on its own can make it a lot easier to know what to expect from the THC, as well as what to expect from a combination product. Remember, it’s up to you to determine how to use cannabis products and what products and concentrations are right for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few more questions we often get about Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC. Remember, these are still relatively new products, so some of the information might change as more studies are done:

Is Delta 10 Stronger Than Delta 8? 

Not necessarily. Both of these forms of THC are psychoactive, though some people do report noticing a more significant high from Delta 8, that doesn’t mean that it’s stronger. The concentration of Delta 10 and Delta 8 will generally have a bigger impact on how you feel when you use a product than the differences between them. 

You may also notice that Delta 8 and Delta 10 THC products feel different when you take them. The differences between the two aren’t a matter of which is stronger, but rather how the two forms of THC interact with your cannabinoid receptors. 

Is Delta 8 Better Than Delta 10? 

No, though some people will have a preference for one form of THC over the others. Delta 8 THC can be better for people who are looking for a more significant high feeling. But Delta 10 might be better for people who are looking to destress or deal with chronic pain. 

You can also use a combination of different products with Delta 10 and Delta 8 THC to achieve different effects for different situations. 

Are Delta 8 and Delta 10 Synthetic? 

Delta 8 and Delta 10 are both naturally occurring, but that’s not the source that most labs use when they are creating Delta 8 and Delta 10 THC products. Instead, labs usually convert CBD into THC to add to the products. 

They aren’t really synthetic, but they do come from a chemical process that turns a naturally occurring cannabinoid into a slightly different chemical. 

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