Delta 8 THC

Make Your Own Delta-8 THC

Our delta-8 THC packages will get you up and running fast.

Why outsource your delta-8? Take control over the process, giving you command over things like:

Production uptime and making sure that deadlines are met
What to test for and where to test for unknown and potentially dangerous residuals
Delivering awesome quality delta-8 THC

How to Make Delta-8 THC

Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol is a naturally occurring cannabinoid, but as the plant itself makes very little of this compound, commercial delta-8 THC products are lab-made from hemp-extracted CBD.

Manufacturers use various methods and techniques to facilitate the conversion of CBD into delta-8 concentrate. Even though the process is quite straightforward, we strongly recommend that one never attempt doing it without a strong understanding of chemistry and access to a lab.

What is Delta-8?

Delta-8 THC has become arguably the most popular new cannabinoid product in the hemp industry. It is a cannabinoid naturally found in hemp plants, but at much lower levels than CBD. This is the case for all strains of hemp plant. Though other strains of hemp may have variable levels of cannabinoids like CBD, all strains have relatively low levels of delta 8 making strains specific grows impractical to attain this cannabinoid. Because of this, delta-8 is derived from CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid) through decarboxylation, oxidization and isolation.

Watch the Delta-8/Delta-9 smackdown episode

Most Common Methods Used in Creating Delta-8 THC

Short Path Distillation

Short path distillation is considered a simple method to remove residual solvents from delta-8 THC after it is created. This method is an essential step to ensure that the final Delta 8 product is safe for human consumption and can be formulated responsibly by chemists. Still, short path distillation is not very efficient in terms of yield and costs.

The short path distillation method works for solvent removal and distillation after converting both CBD and delta-9 THC into delta-8 THC. If you are a hobbyist and want to try the delta-8 THC conversion process at home it may be difficult to create a safe product without a short path distillation process. If you have the proper equipment, it is possible to make a delta-8 product safe for the consumer.

However, it is critical to send a sample of your final product to a lab to confirm the contents. Unknown chemicals can possibly contain toxic or carcinogenic byproducts.

The short path distillation method includes the following steps:

Adding delta-8 extract to short path distillation apparatus
Gradually bring to target temperature (205ºC)
Allow distillation to remove residual solvents from conversion process
Test the final product

The React Method

The react method is an advanced method of converting CBD to delta-8 THC used by the majority of large-scale operations. It is more efficient and scalable than short path distillation.

However, we should say cost and efficiency are optimized at the sacrifice of safety. Using the react method requires the experience of a professional chemist, sensitive lab, and testing equipment. Short path distillation is also used in the process to purify the extract and separate delta-8 THC from other compounds.

Here are the steps of the react method:

Dissolve pure CBD isolate in a solvent
Catalyze the reaction in an acid
Neutralized the acid
Remove the solvent
Purify and remediate the crude extract
Test the final product for purity

Short path distillation and react methods cover the basic principles of converting CBD to delta-8 THC. There are also some other recipes used by professional chemists for converting CBD to Delta 8 THC, they include the Roguelab method, RockSteady modified, WKU consulting method, and Zwackelmann method.

Gloved hand pulling CBD distillate from a jar

Delta-8 Extract: Products and Consumables

Common delta-8 THC products include gummies, tinctures, vape cartridges, distillates, and other products. When you search for Delta 8 gummies, we highly recommend looking for brands offering the full range of tests to prove the purity of their products. The ever-growing demand for delta-8 THC products stimulates some of the brands popping out with new products that cannot be trusted. It is important to distinguish trustworthy companies from sketchy ones.

Beware of unethical companies when choosing delta-8 THC products. Such companies use scammy marketing methods or lie about the test results of their products. In addition, some companies do not test their products at all or miss key safety tests. We recommend avoiding buying products with THC effects from all those companies for safety reasons.

Complete transparency and third-party verification of quality set trustworthy brands apart.

There are certain criteria for what makes a delta-8 THC product safe. We want to highlight four standards that we believe are the best way to judge any delta-8 THC brand:

The reputation of the brand and product
Transparent lab testing
High-quality ingredients
Delta 8 THC potency.

Delta-8 THC consumables are also available on the market. Some delta-8 consumables kits include all necessary materials to convert isolate material into delta-8 oil: purified salt, catalyst, and neutralizer. When choosing delta-8 consumables check if all of the reagents are ACS Grade or better. It will ensure the highest quality of delta-8 conversion in your process.

There are also DIY consumable starter packs that will enable you to start producing delta-8 right away. A set of low-cost equipment is required in the process of CBD conversion into delta-8 THC.

Recommended equipment includes: insulation, glass reactor vessel, heating mantle, controller, condenser, stir bar, dryer, thermometer, adaptor, chiller, separatory funnel, ring stand, short path, rotovap, and hood. Some additional equipment may be needed based on your needs.

Buy delta-8 consumables

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Process to Make Delta 8 Products

The science and process to make delta-8 products from a hemp extract is easy to learn and easy to execute with the right information like extraktLAB’s course, and the laboratory and consumable kits. The basic process requires quality hemp derived CBD isolate that has a cannabinoid content of greater than 95%.

Isolate starting material is mixed with an organic solvent and is heated.
The catalyst is added while stirring.
After heating and stirring for about an hour, the solution will turn a dark amber and become viscous.
The solution is allowed to cool and is poured out of the flask into a separatory funnel containing a washing solution.
The solution is washed repeatedly with water, neutralizer and salt solution.
The solvent is removed from the oil by boiling or roto-vaping.
The oil is improved in appearance and quality with a short path (wiped film or glass ware) apparatus.

This process will produce delta-8 oils that are approximately 80-85% potent. The oil is then diluted to remove any excess delta-9 cannabinoids or is diluted to keep the delta-9 below 0.3%.

What Makes a Good Delta-8 Manufacturer?

When it comes to a quality product, you have to be able to determine a reputable delta-8 manufacturer. Because of the legal status of delta-8 THC, a delta-8 manufacturer that is not adhering to the rigid laws and regulations necessary to create a safe and legal product should not be viewed as a trustworthy business. Here are some things to consider when assessing a reputable manufacturer of delta-8.

Legal Practices

The legality of delta-8 products has been questioned since its popularity began to spike. Although it is psychoactive, as a hemp derived product that is not delta-9 THC, it is technically legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.

But, any delta-8 manufacturer is likely to be under close watch to ensure they are operating legally. Making sure a company has clear and dedicated legal guidelines they follow is essential to determining a reputable company making delta-8. A good example of this is making sure they have a clear age restriction on the sale of their products and ensuring nobody under the age limit is capable of buying delta-8 products.

Ensuring legal levels of Delta –

Looking back to the 2018 Farm Bill, a legal hemp derived product must not contain more than 0.3% of delta-9 THC. Because of the process of making the product, a delta-8 manufacturer has to make sure that the levels of delta-9 THC in any given product are below that 0.3% threshold. This comes through proper processes and rigorous testing.

The issue with many delta-8 manufacturers is many of them do not uphold the delta-9 threshold and ship products to their customers anyway. In fact, we have analyzed a number of delta-8 manufacturers and tested their products in our podcast episode. Keep this in mind when deciding a reputable delta-8 producer.

Quality control (testing for residuals)

Not only is the quantity of delta-9 THC a vital consideration for a quality delta-8 product, but testing for residuals and unknowns is equally important. A quality delta-8 manufacturer will be transparent about third-party testing and will openly display batch records and test results for all of their products.

If a manufacturer of delta-8 products is not clear about their testing efforts and batch records, it is always best to steer clear of the brand. Take a look at the same podcast episode mentioned above to see what we came up with when we tested a few different delta 8 brands.

Is Delta-8 Safe?

Safety Consumptions and Considerations

We have already listed above the criteria of what makes a delta-8 THC product safe. The reputation of the brand and product, transparent lab testing, high-quality ingredients, and Delta 8 THC potency make delta-8 THC products consumption safe. Among major safety considerations for the use of delta-8 THC products should be mentioned irresponsible production, lack of regulatory oversight, and limited laboratory testing.

When manufacturers make errors in the delta-8 THC creating process, they typically use low-grade materials and do not perform proper testing, and thus the sample can become contaminated. Some of the delta-8 THC byproducts and impurities can actually be harmful and toxic. In many cases, nothing is known about the health effects of Delta 8 THC impurities. Therefore, CBD material and the solvents, and acids used in the process of delta-8 THC creation should be pure. Otherwise, there is a high risk of contaminants and byproducts that are nearly impossible to determine.

Another potential safety risk is inaccurate Delta 8 THC conversion process. If the conversion process is not 100% accurate, the product will be not a pure delta-8 THC but a mixture of delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and other cannabinoids. Without proper THC remediation, a product will contain illegal concentrations of delta-9 THC. Some manufacturers use strong bases such as metal catalysts for neutralization of delta-8 THC. Even though they may claim their products do not include any harmful reactants, nobody is measuring the pH of such delta-8 products or testing them for strong acids and residual metals that are left behind.

Delta-8 THC production requires chemistry experience, access to adequate safety and laboratory equipment, and taking all the precautions involved with safety. When choosing delta-8 THC for safe consumption, check if the brand is a responsible delta-8 THC manufacturer who uses high-quality and pure ingredients, follows 100% accurate conversion process and safety precautions, as well as conducts transparent third-party lab testing for purity and safety.

Delta-8 Remediation

It is very difficult, but not impossible to remove delta-9 from delta-8 because both cannabinoids are isomers.

Delta-8 Remediation

Delta-8 THC Effects

Like all hemp compounds, delta-8 has its own unique effects. Many of the reported effects by those who have used both delta-8 products and delta-9 products claim a similar psychoactive response from both cannabinoids. While the effects of delta-9 products include euphoria, relaxation, and appetite stimulation among others, the effects of delta-8 products tend to be the same as reported from users, but at a more mild level. For this reason, many have turned to delta 8 as opposed to delta 9 because its effects are more mild, and manageable for those sensitive to psychoactive products.

Legal Status of Hemp Derived Delta-8

Delta-8 is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant in lower levels. The delta-9 cannabinoid is illegal in most states under the Controlled Substances Act. Hemp, on the other hand, was made legal federally by the 2018 Farm Bill. Industrial hemp is monitored to have no more than 0.3 percent Delta 9. All products that are extracted and used from cannabinoids in this legal plant must end with no more than the standard 0.3% delta-9. Delta-8 is one of over 100 legal cannabinoids in hemp, meaning it is a legal substance within the United States.

Delta-8 Consumables and DIY

This package includes a consumable starter pack that will enable you to start producing on your very first day. This process requires a low cost set of equipment. The recommended equipment list includes the following:

Glass reactor vessel
Insulation
Heating mantle + controller.
Stir bar
Condenser
Dryer
Thermometer plus adaptor
Chiller
Separatory Funnel + Ring Stand
Short Path
Rotovap
Hood

You may need additional equipment based on your needs.

Courses

For more information on Delta-8, and formulations tips and instructions, we recommend you for our free exraktUniversity Courses.

delta-8 mini course

What is delta-8 THC
Delta-8 vs. delta-9
How to make delta-8

Hemp Formulations

Dilution calculators
How to read your analytical results
Ingredients

Certificates are available for purchase upon completion.

Delta-8 50L Industrial Startup Package

This 50L reactor is tailored for delta-8 production. Equipment features air pumps, heater, solvent reservoirs, manual valves, helium fluid transfer, and overhead stirrer with air motor.