Weed Light: An Exploratory Study of Delta-8 THC Conversations on Reddit
Szczypka Glen, Jessica K. Pepper, Annice Kim
June 8, 2022 DOI: 10.3768/rtipress.2022.rb.0030.2206 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational social media analysis |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11,333 |
| Population | Publicly available Reddit posts about Delta-8 THC from January 2020 through April 2021, from 11,333 unique users across 708 subreddits |
| Duration | Posts collected from January 2020 through April 2021 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Across roughly 57,913 Reddit posts, discussion of Delta-8 centered on available products, purchase locations, safety and legality, reactions to the product, and general experiences. The authors contend that because Delta-8 is widely available with little regulation or testing and questionable legality, it should concern health officials, and that monitoring platforms like Reddit can help the FDA with regulatory and consumer protection goals for emerging cannabis products. |
Abstract
Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a newly popular cannabinoid that can be purchased easily at gas stations, vape shops, and online retailers in most regions of the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expressed the need for novel data sources to understand the use of products like Delta-8 and rapidly detect potential safety issues. Using social media platform Reddit, we examined users’ reported experiences with Delta-8. We collected publicly available Reddit posts of Delta-8 from January 2020 through April 2021 using Brandwatch, a commercially available social media listening platform. We identified the names of popular subreddits, trends in post volume, and frequent topic phrases for Delta-8. Approximately 57,913 Reddit posts were collected from 11,333 unique users across 708 subreddits. Most frequently, discussions were about available products, locations for purchase, overall safety and legality, reactions to the product, and general experiences. Given the lack of regulation and testing, questionable legality, and the product’s wide availability at retail and online locations, Delta-8 products should be a concern for health officials. Monitoring social media platforms like Reddit can help FDA achieve its regulatory and consumer protection goals for emerging cannabis products.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |