THC-O vs Delta 8
Author: Joy Hughes
There’s been a lot of talk about Delta 8 THC having a new variant that is borderline psychedelic. Have you heard about this?
They call it THCO, and it’s one of those compounds that just recently resurfaced in the mainstream public.
It’s not a cannabinoid you want to play around with unless you’ve built up your tolerance to handle it.
Users have reported that it will rock your world in a way that no other THC variant has before.
It’s often referred to as the “mushrooms of THC”, and reputable hemp brands are the ones creating it.
So if you’ve enjoyed all that Delta 8 THC has to offer, then look out… THCO may give it a run for its money.
Note: THCO is not something for the faint of heart. That said…
What is THC-O?
THC-O Acetate, otherwise known as simply THC-O, is the new semi-synthetic cannabinoid on the block.
Well, actually… That's not entirely true. THCO has been around for a while now, since 1949.
In fact, the U.S. military scientists first started playing around with the THCO compound. But the general public has no idea of its existence.
Fast forward 20 years, and deep in Florida, the DEA quickly discovered a lab creating illegal THCO extracts.
While the DEA did shut them down, the creation of THCO has yet again resurfaced in the last few years, and now everyone is wanting in on its powerful action.
But there’s a lot of controversy surrounding this unique molecule. THCO is not a naturally occurring cannabinoid. It takes a series of steps and chemicals to create it.
For these reasons, some people protest that THCO is 100% synthetic, but others believe that because Delta 8 or Delta 9 is involved in its conversion, that it’s only semi-synthetic.
Nevertheless, everyone including cannabis experts agree that THCO is a variant of the THC cannabinoid. It just requires some tweaking and conversion.
Now, before we dive into how THCO is made, let’s do a quick refresher…
What is Delta 8?
Delta 8 is short Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s a naturally occurring cannabinoid found in small traces of the cannabis plant.
Delta 8 THC has been involved in a number of studies — most of which have shown a lot of promise.
As its name suggests, Delta 8 THC is psychoactive and it’s an analog of Delta 9 THC. The main difference is that Delta 8 is much more subtle than traditional Delta 9. In fact, most users report feeling more alert, less anxious, and zero paranoia.
And since Delta 8 is derived from the hemp plant, it’s considered 100% federally legal. However, not every state in America has deemed it legal for recreational use.
Most people love Delta 8 THC. In fact, many Delta 9 veterans have permanently made the switch to Delta 8. But again, there is some controversy in how hemp brands create Delta 8 THC.
In order for hemp brands to create enough Delta 8 to meet customer demand, they rely on conversion. Some hemp brands convert CBD into Delta 8 THC, while other brands convert both CBD and Delta 9 into Delta 8 THC.
But because Delta 8 is a naturally occurring cannabinoid, not many people question how it’s made for the masses. Nevertheless, it requires a lot of organic chemistry and photosynthesis.
That said, reputable THC brands that specialize in organic chemistry, or rely on reputable manufacturers to do their Delta 8 formulations, create absolutely safe and effective Delta 8 THC products.
But now that THCO is gaining popularity, hemp brands are quickly trying to meet the demand. Because let’s face it… People are wanting something a little stronger.
Which brings us to…
THC-O vs Delta 8 – What’s the difference?
Remember when we said that in order to create THCO, it requires a series of steps and chemicals? Well, those two chemicals are called Acetic Anhydride and Sulfuric Acid. Unfortunately, both of these chemicals are pretty harmful on their own.
In fact, Acetic anhydride is incredibly flammable and extremely harmful for human consumption. But they’re needed to help convert Delta 8 or Delta 9 into the powerful THCO.
That’s right… The way THCO is made is through conversion of Delta 8 or Delta 9.
Now, in order for THCO to be federally legal, it needs to be converted from hemp-derived Delta 8. A little bit of Delta 9 can be in the mix, but no more than 0.3% of the total volume.
Because of this conversion process, it’s been said that THCO is actually 2-3 times more powerful than Delta 9 and roughly 3-5 times more potent than Delta 8 THC. Crazy, right?
This may explain why so many people refer to THCO as the psychedelic version of both Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC.
But in order for people to experience that psychedelic high, they need to only consume THCO from hemp brands that have utilized proper testing to ensure that the final product is free from any residual chemicals or toxins. Because the last thing you want is a flammable chemical entering your body.
So where can you find high quality THCO that’s safe to consume?
Introducing…
Best THC-O / Delta 8 Brands
If you’re considering giving THCO a try, we have to warn you of a few things…
First, THCO is not a compound you want to play around with if you’ve never consumed any variant of THC before. We advise that you first get your feet wet with Delta 8, or even Delta 10 THC. Then slowly work your way up to Delta 9 THC. Once you’ve built up a tolerance to that, then you might be ready for THCO.
Secondly, because THCO is not a naturally occurring cannabinoid, it’s imperative that you only buy high quality THCO from reputable hemp brands. The final THCO product must be thoroughly and vigorously tested by an accredited third party laboratory to ensure all residual chemicals are removed from the final product.
Finally, it takes a lot of time and energy to find reputable Delta 8 and THCO brands. But if you want to truly experience this psychedelic high that everyone is raving about, then you cannot afford to mess with THCO products bought at gas stations or random head shops. This includes Delta 8 THC.
Below is a list of the best Delta 8 THC and THCO brands in the industry. We’ve researched them thoroughly and found that they do absolutely everything right.
So, give them a quick look before you move forward with your Delta 8 THC and THCO purchase.
Let’s dive in…
Reviewed as the number one Delta 8 brand on the market, 3Chi’s trailblazing ingenuity in cannabinoid formulation and research has changed the way we view the infamous THC cannabinoid.
Now before we dive into their amazing THC-dominant products, we want to point out that the reason 3Chi remains America’s top THC brand is because they only use pure, organically sourced hemp.
They also only use biochemically engineered extraction practices that help create specific blends and strains.
And to ensure that their products are the same every time and are always pure, they always use rigorous testing, specifically third party testing.
This ensures that all of their cannabinoid-based products are free from harmful contaminants and potential toxins. It also provides a better understanding of the cannabinoid and terpene content in each batch, thus allowing them to give a more accurate dosing recommendation.
That said, 3Chi offers a full range of various THC-dominant products, but it’s their THC-O and Delta 8 THC that we really want to highlight.
THC-O & Delta 8 Product Highlight
To begin with, 3Chi has some of the best THCO vape cartridges we’ve ever seen. They come in a 1ML CCELL cartridge and are compatible with a 510 battery.
It’s incredibly smooth and often takes effect within 10-20 minutes. With 95% of THCP distillate and 5% therapeutic terpenes, 3Chi highly recommends that you take small puffs. And allow your body plenty of time to react to the THCO vape fluid.
If you’re just starting out with THCO and don’t want to make a full on commitment with a THCO vape cartridge, then you’ll love 3Chi’s THCO disposable vape.
It also comes in a 1ML CCELL but it’s fully disposable. The performance of this rechargeable disposable THCO vape is very easy to use and super convenient. Again, it’s best to start slow with small puffs.
If what you prefer is something a little more subtle, then we highly encourage you to give 3Chi’s Delta 8 THC vapes a try. They have an array of blends and strains. From focus-driven Sativa to comfortably numb Indica, there are both regular and disposable Delta 8 THC vapes available on 3Chi’s website.
Now, we have to give it to Delta Extrax. While they’re similar to the reputable 3Chi brand, there is one huge difference: Delta Extrax solely focuses on all things THC.
That’s right, you won’t necessarily find them marketing any CBD products. That doesn’t mean they won’t have a full range of cannabinoids in their products, but they don’t make it a point to single those cannabinoids out.
Instead, they create THC-dominant products only. Which means they’ve become quite the experts when it comes to the THC cannabinoid.
In fact, Delta Extrax is fully equipped with highly experienced, well trained, professional formulators who specialize in real organic chemistry. Which means their products are top-of-the-line every time!
Seriously, you never have to worry or second guess with Delta Extrax, as they only use organic hemp, clean extractions, and high quality ingredients.
What’s more, all of their products are vigorously tested by a third party laboratory.
THC-O & Delta 8 Product Highlight
One of the most amazing things about Delta Extrax is that they create pretty potent and effective THC-O disposables.
And believe us when we say that they have a ton of blends and strains to choose from. All of them have been highly reviewed and range from Berry Gelato Indica, to Mimosa Sativa, and Double Bubble OG Hybrid.
The beauty? They’re all disposable THCO vapes and they're so conveniently easy to use. You just place them between your lips and inhale. That’s it. But be warned, they’re often out of stock of certain strains and flavors, so act fast.
Now, if THCO disposable vapes aren’t your cup of tea, not to worry… Delta Extrax has the best Delta 8 hemp flower in the industry.
You can buy the Delta 8 hemp flower buds on their own, or you can skip the hassle and buy their Delta 8 hemp flower pre-rolled joint.
They also come in various strains: Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid. But again, certain Delta 8 flower strains are out of stock at times.
Lastly, we have Vivimu… A hemp brand that not only creates their own hemp-derived products, but also features other highly trustworthy and reputable cannabinoid-based brands on their website.
We love Vivimu! Not only do they offer incredibly high quality products to the public, but all of their products are reasonably priced and are always delivered in recorded time.
Additionally, Vivimu is all about accurate third party testing and safety. They believe in total transparency, and they are never afraid to point their customers to another reputable brand if they know that their customers will benefit from them.
With all that said, you can bet your hard-earned dollar that Vivimu has a ton of THC-O and Delta 8 products for you to choose from.
THC-O & Delta 8 Product Highlight
For starters, they feature these amazing Elyxr LA THC-O gummies. They’re 100% vegan and gluten free, and they contain 20mg of Delta 8 THC and 5mg of THC-O in each individual gummy.
They come in two amazing flavors: Mango and Grape! Most users report feeling completely chill, elated, and perfectly euphoric.
If that doesn’t pique your interest, then you may enjoy Elyxr LA’s Delta 8 infused gummies, which is also featured on Vivimu’s website. They come in 5 delicious flavors and contain 25mg of Delta 8 THC.
They’ve been reported to offer a subtle high without any of the paranoia. In other words, the perfect euphoric experience!
Vivimu also features MC Nutraceuticals' pretty potent Delta 8 THC-O acetate distillate. It tests at almost 92% purity and can be used for dabbing or to create your own THC-O based products, like THCO edibles, tinctures, etc.
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THC-O FAQs
Chances are you have a lot more questions regarding THCO, and even Delta 8 THC. That’s why we’ve answered some of the most common THCO questions below.
Check them out…
No! While THCO is often created from Delta 8 THC, they’re two entirely different molecules. Delta 8 THC is a naturally occurring cannabinoid, whereas THCO is a semi-synthetic compound.
According to cannabis experts, THCO is said to be 2-3 times stronger than Delta 9 THC. It’s best to take things slow at a low dose. THCO can sneak up on you, which is why it’s important to give your body plenty of time to adapt to THCO’s effects.
Yes, THCO is an analog of traditional THC, which means it will likely show up positive on a drug test.
Vaping THCO can take up to 20 to 30 minutes to kick in. So it’s important to go slow. THCO edibles can take up to 2 hours to kick in, but the effects typically last longer in the system.
THCO is converted from Delta 8 THC. It’s thought to be about 60% more potent than Delta 9 THC, and even stronger than Delta 8 THC. THCO is not the same as Delta 8 THC, partly because THCO is a product of chemical synthesis. Delta 8 THC, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring cannabinoid.
According to Reddit, Delta 8 THC is a milder version of regular THC, whereas THCO is reported to be almost 3 times more intoxicating than Delta 9. Delta 8 offers uplifting and sedative-like effects, compared to THCO’s sativa-like, psychedelic effects.
Conclusion: THCO or Delta 8 THC?
If you’re looking for something with a little more kick to it, then THCO is likely gonna be the compound to rock your world. Delta 8 THC, on the other hand, offers more subtle effects. That said, one is not necessarily better than the other; it’s all based on personal preference.
So if you’re ready to give THCO a try or you just want an alternative to Delta 8 products, then we encourage you to give our list of the best Delta 8 and THCO brands above a try. Just remember to always take things slow at first.
