What's The Deal With Delta-8 THC?

Have you ever walked into your local bodega and wondered how they could sell stuff that looks and smells just like cannabis? That "stuff" is Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an isomer of Delta-9-THC (the compound that most people purchase when they buy cannabis products at a state-legal dispensary).  Delta-8 and Delta-9 are very similar, with the only real chemical difference being where the double bond sits on the carbon chain (on the 8^th carbon chain for Delta-8 and on the 9^th carbon chain for Delta-9). Just like Delta-9, Delta-8 is a natural component of the cannabis plant.  However, due to the small amounts of Delta-8 THC found in the plant itself, most Delta-8-THC is created in a lab.  If you're reading this in New York, the smoke shop around the corner isn't selling Delta-8 due to the recent legalization of recreational cannabis – it's because of a legal loophole that New York is now actively trying to close (more on that later).