In recent years both delta 8 and CBD flowers are gaining popularity. Delta 8, which is also called Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, is a psychoactive compound derived from the same plant from which marijuana is derived. The cannabis plants produce more than a hundred kinds of cannabinoids, and delta 8 is among them.
Often only the uses and effects of these compounds are discussed. But it is essential to know chemistry if you want to understand how these psychoactive compounds influence the human body. Let’s start with the nomenclature.
Understanding the nomenclature of Cannabinoid compounds:
Nomenclature, the process of naming a chemical compound, is very tedious in chemistry. There are a variety of naming systems and plenty of different names for the same compound.
If you keenly observe the structure of delta 8, you can understand the logic behind the number eight. So google the structure of the compound and have that with you while you are reading this article.
As Delta 8 is an organic compound, it is made of carbon atoms. Each carbon atom in the structure is given a number. Assigning numbers to the carbon atom is very necessary to derive the name. The carbon atom attached to the hydroxyl group, the OH group, is called one. From there, you should proceed clockwise, numbering every carbon you encounter. When you reach four, you will encounter that the next carbon is named 10b. Do not bother yourself by trying to find the reason. The next oxygen atom gets the number five. After six, you will again encounter 6a carbon, and again do not think much about that. The carbon next to 6a is seven, the next one is eight, and the next one is nine. Stop here! Do you observe the double bond between the carbon numbers eight and nine? This is the one that gives the name “delta 8” to the compound: the greek letters delta and the number eight state a double bond in the compound at that position.
You will get more comprehensive and bafflingly long explanations of the nomenclature of these isomers of THC in different scientific journals. You can refer to them also.
Pharmacology of THC compounds:
Mainly, many compounds with similar structures have similar chemical properties and act the same with the receptors in the brain. Delta 8 and THC also have almost similar structures, and they act similarly, too. But delta 8 has less potential compared to THC. As it is present in traces in CBD oil, isolating and studying was more challenging, which is why delta 8 entered the scenario quite late.
The legality of Delta 8:
The compound was discovered late, and hence the attention of the drug forums was also not on Delta 8 as it belongs to the THC category. You can consider that it was illegal. But the legality of any compound depends on where you are and how the government interprets the laws, and the laws that regulate the drugs are very complex. If you are considering purchasing delta 8, make sure that you are aware of these laws.
Conclusion:
Delta 8 is gaining popularity more and more, and people love the food products infused with that. If you are one of them, I hope this article has increased your knowledge about the products you consume.
