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While many in the state are taking sides in the debate over the legality of cannabis, your friends at JLAP have been witnessing an aspect of weed, pot, hemp, smoke, the Devil’s lettuce—whatever you choose to call it—that we think you should understand.
The relative safety of cannabis has been the rallying point for both sides of the debate. Advocates for legalization like to draw comparisons to America’s favorite intoxicant, alcohol, assuring us that booze creates a far greater risk to life and limb.
Those opposed are likely to point out how today’s many iterations of cannabis are exponentially more potent than your grandfather’s weed, and thereby more consequential in terms of health and impairment risks.
Forty-two states and the District of Columbia currently allow either medicinal or recreational use, including the four states bordering Indiana.
Indiana, like the federal government, recognizes cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and thereby maintains its prohibition.
Beyond that, the law gets a little fuzzy.
We at JLAP are not here to weigh in on either side of the legalization debate. We simply want to illuminate a disturbing trend which we have witnessed firsthand—that is, the profound impact on mental health by Delta-8.
Such cannabinoid products like the real thing have emerged at gas stations and smoke shops statewide. You’ve probably seen the signs advertising “Delta-8 – Legal THC.” What, exactly, is Delta-8 THC and how does it compare to Delta-9, or what we know as marijuana?
Indiana’s legal definition of cannabis ignores a category of substances called “low THC hemp extract.”
Hemp and marijuana are both varieties of the same plant species, Cannabis sativa. The difference lies in the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the psychoactive compound that produces the “high” associated with marijuana.
Hemp contains 0.3% THC, while marijuana contains more than 0.3% THC.
The Farm Bill of 2018 removed hemp from the definition of marijuana and established it as a legal agricultural commodity. This paved the way for hemp-based products, such as Delta-8 or CBD (cannabidiol), to be sold legally in Indiana.
Delta-8 has been described as having similar intoxicating effects to marijuana. It is widely marketed as a milder high.
So, what’s wrong with this?
The problem is research is still emerging on the effects and safety of Delta-8, but the preliminary evidence is concerning. Delta-8 products have not been evaluated for safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and remain unregulated, making their actual contents largely unknown.
This should remind you of the “bath salts” craze from 15 years ago. In 2022, the FDA issued several statements expressing concerns about dangerous marketing of these products, harmful manufacturing practices and reports made of psychosis and inpatient hospitalizations due to its use. You read that right, psychosis and inpatient hospitalizations.
Extensive research supports an established link between cannabis use and an increased risk of developing a psychotic disorder (Hall, Degenhardt, 2008).
The American Psychiatric Association introduced “cannabis-induced psychotic disorder” as an official diagnosis in 2013. More recent research warns that due to their structural similarities, risks for addiction and psychosis are similar for Delta-8, as has been established for cannabis (Singh, Garg, & Tampi, 2025).
We at JLAP are particularly concerned as we have seen an increase in Delta-8 use amongst legal professionals. The legality of the substance seems to appeal to legal professionals who are often concerned with keeping their recreational activities within the confines of the law.
In recent years, JLAP has encountered several cases of severe mental health conditions resulting from or being exacerbated by Delta-8 or other “legal weed” variants. And by “severe mental health conditions,” we mean symptoms including paranoid delusions, mania, and psychosis.
We have seen those with stable mental health conditions like bipolar disorder become destabilized by Delta-8 use. We have seen careers damaged, discipline become involved, and once vibrant individuals become paranoid and estranged from loved ones.
We have seen erratic and dangerous behavior emerge in what were previously rational, responsible, and levelheaded individuals. Many of these individuals required inpatient treatment or hospitalization of some sort for their mental health conditions to stabilize and to be able to return to their normal lives.
We do believe the primary cause of these tragic instances to be Delta-8 usage. So, while the debate on marijuana legalization continues, we at JLAP urge you to understand the serious potential risks of Delta-8.•
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Dana Soeurt is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical case manager at JLAP. Eric Wood is a licensed clinical addictions counselor and clinical case manager at JLAP. Opinions expressed are those of the authors.
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