Have you heard of Delta-8? No, we aren’t talking about the airline company, but it could make you take flight.

Today we’ve got the 411 on the plant product known as Delta-8 which remains legal in NC — at least, for now.

What is it?

Without getting too deep in the weeds, Delta-8, known by some as ‘marijuana lite,’ represents 1 strain among 140+ existing cannabinoids which are derived from the cannabis plant. Due to its similarity to Delta-9 (aka THC), Delta-8 has become quite popular — especially in states that don’t legally allow “traditional” marijuana such as North and South Carolina.

Many Delta-8 consumers report effects such as mild euphoria, improved mood, sleep benefits + pain relief, albeit at a much less potent rate than THC. Side effects may also include dry mouth, red eyes, paranoia, anxiety + a case of the “munchies.”

Delta-8 gummies in the production process. | Photo from @frannysfarmacy

What’s the legality of this stuff?

As of July 2021, North Carolina has not banned Delta-8 and it is available locally. Due to the 2018 farm bill, the hemp from which Delta-8 is extracted has been federally authorized. So long as the hemp plant has a THC level below .3% it’s legal to grow in the state with proper permits; however, anything above that is illegal.

Where can you find Delta-8 locally?

The short answer: throw a dart at a map of Asheville and it’ll probably land near a local hemp dispensary that sells it. You can also check out these spots:

Asheville Dispensary, 919 Haywood Rd. — Tinctures, gummies, flower + topicals
Apotheca, 3106 Sweeten Creek Rd; 21 Battery Park Ave. — Cartridges, distillate, tinctures, pre-rolls, vapes, shatter, gummies, edibles, flower + more
Carolina Hemp Company, 290 Haywood Rd. — Flower + pre-rolls
Franny’s Farmacy, 5 Miller Rd. — Gummies + flower
The Hookah Hookup, 85 Patton Ave. — Flower + accessories