Who is Delta Munchies?

Basically, Delta Munchies is one of our favorite brands of cannabis products. But there are some features that make this brand extra special, especially if you’re curious about different types of cannabinoids.

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One cool thing about this brand is that they offer products featuring something called semi-synthetic cannabinoids. Yes, they carry regular old delta-9 THC (also known as just THC), but they also carry some lesser-known cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, and maybe even some things you’ve never heard of(!?)

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Analogous to the way different cannabis strains can exert different physiological effects on the body, these other cannabinoids tend to hit differently. For example, delta-8 THC is often reported to create the same positive experience as delta-9 THC, without any of the anxiety that sometimes comes along with it.

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By the end of this article, you’ll understand the qualities of these other psychoactive cannabinoids, so you can have complete control over your experience.

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Another cool thing about Delta Munchies is they provide third-party lab testing. So you’ll be able to take your new knowledge and check out exactly how much of each cannabinoid you’re getting in each product. You’ll have access to all the data you need to control your cannabis experience.

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What are Delta 8 Munchies?

Getting a bit bored of regular old delta-9-THC? We’re about to introduce you to some new psychotropic cannabinoids.

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Remember, delta-9 THC is just normal THC (tetrahydrocannabinoid), the major cannabinoid that is responsible for the psychotropic effects of cannabis. Delta-9 THC is the only psychotropic cannabinoid found in significant quantities in the cannabis plant. It exerts an effect on the body by interacting with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, especially a receptor called CB1.

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Although we usually just call this molecule THC, today, we’re calling it molecule delta-9. That’s because we need to differentiate it from another cannabinoid who is visiting from out of town, called delta-8 THC. Check out the image: can you spot the difference?

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These two molecules are “isomers,” because they have all the same atoms, but in a slightly different arrangement. Delta-9 has a double bond (note the double line) between carbon numbers 9 and 10. Delta-8 has a double bond from carbon 8 to carbon 9.

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Delta-8 doesn’t make an appearance too often, because it’s not naturally found in appreciable quantities in cannabis. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting to us. Because it’s so structurally similar to delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC interacts with CB1 in a very similar way. It parks in the same position, and causes similar downstream effects.

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But here’s the best part: because it’s just a little bit different from delta-9 THC, it behaves just a little bit differently too. In a qualitative study (a study that focuses on interviews rather than measurements and numbers), cannabis users reported that delta-8 THC gave them a similar high, but without the negative side effects sometimes associated with delta-9. For example, most users did not have any anxiety or paranoia when using delta-8. Instead, delta-8 gave an experience of pain relief, relaxation, and euphoria.

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Why might that be? From what we know so far, delta-8 has a lower potency at the CB1 receptor. Its strength is only about two-thirds that of delta-9. This isn’t actually that important, since most users choose their dosage based on feeling – if they feel fewer effects, they will simply consume more cannabinoids.

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But there are other receptors involved too. The CB2 receptor is thought to play an important role in many of the calming and therapeutic effects of cannabinoids. Studies suggest that although delta-8 has a lower affinity for CB1, it actually has a similar affinity for CB2 compared to delta-9. So even if you compensate for the lower potency by taking more of it, you are simultaneously mitigating the negative side-effects by activating the CB2 receptor a little bit extra.

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There are also other receptors that play a role in the effects of delta-8 and delta-9, but we don’t yet know much about those. While delta-8 isn’t technically “new” – it was first discovered to be psychoactive all the way back in 1942 – we still have a lot to learn about it.

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Where Does Delta-8 ComeFrom?

We already said that there isn’t a significant amount of delta-8 found in cannabis. So where does it come from?

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Meet the semi-synthetic cannabinoid. The easiest way to get to delta-8 is to start with cannabidiol, aka CBD. While CBD is found naturally in cannabis and has powerful effects on the body, it won’t make you high. However, CBD can undergo cyclization to create delta-9 and delta-8 THC. Check out the photo. Can you see what changed?

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All we had to do was close the ring and now we have a compound that is psychotropic. This is done by reacting CBD under acidic conditions.

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So delta-8 is both a synthetic cannabinoid and a derivative of CBD. That’s why it’s called a semi-synthetic cannabinoid.

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This “semi-synthetic” nature puts it in a kind of legal limbo. If it was truly a synthetic cannabinoid, it would be considered a controlled substance. But because it can be derivatized from CBD, it falls into a legal gray area – which means you can try it for yourself. Check here to see a Delta Munchies review and try them out in four different flavors!

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What is HHC?

Hexahydrocannabinol, nicknamed HHC, is another semi-synthetic cannabinoid. Like delta-9 THC, HHC is also synthesized from CBD. But we add one more step to the reaction, hydrogenation. This adds a hydrogen, in order to remove the double bond that gives delta-8 its name. Like THC (both delta-8 and delta-9), HHC has an affinity for CB1, and has psychotropic effects.

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Although we don’t know as much about the biochemistry of HHC, anecdotal evidence suggests that it falls somewhere between delta-9 and delta-8, creating a relaxing full-body experience for stress-relief and pain-relief.

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You can check out Delta Munchies HHC in three awesome flavors here. Don’t forget to use the Delta Munchies coupon code.

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And if Delta-9 is Still Your Jam…

Delta Munchies also sells delta-9 gummies. This blend has a mixture of other non-psychotropic compounds like CBD, CBN, and CBG, to best optimize your experience. If you’re curious about how all of these non-psychotropic cannabinoids can enhance your high, you should read this blog about the entourage effect.

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What if I Prefer Smoking to Gummies?

Actually, this brings up an interesting point. Cannabinoids hit differently when they’re ingested compared to when they’re inhaled. Why is that?

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When you eat a gummy, your body metabolizes the cannabinoids in your digestive tract. So it is sometimes the metabolites, rather than the original cannabinoid that is responsible for your high. The high you get from edible THC mainly comes from a metabolite called 11-hydroxy-THC. So you can have the delta-9 version of this OR you can have the delta-8 version of this. That’s why your high might take longer to kick in, but it might last longer and be more intense.

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We know that delta-9-THC is a bit more potent compared to delta-8-THC. But we don’t actually know so much about the comparative potency of their metabolites.

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If you inhale THC by smoking or vaping, then there aren’t any metabolites. So you can apply what you already know about delta-8-THC at face value.

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If you prefer to smoke, we sell Delta Munchies THCa diamond-infused pre-rolls, which have a mixture of delta-8, HHC, and CBD. To learn more about THC diamonds, check out this blog article.

Full Transparency Lab Results

As we mentioned, another cool thing about this brand is that they make full panel lab tests available for all of their products. As a consumer you can easily access third-party lab results to see exactly what cannabinoids are in each product.

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Now that you understand the difference between all the psychotropic cannabinoids, you can check out the lab results so you know exactly how much you’re getting of each.

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Not only that, but you’ll have full transparency of other contaminants that could detract from the quality and safety of your experience.

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Hopefully by now you’re feeling like an expert in all these exciting new cannabinoids. If you still need a bit of guidance, feel free to contact us for a free consultation.