phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES SEPT 23RD – SEPT 29TH, 2021 State Licensed Dispensaries & Doctor Certifications | CANNABIS | Delta 8 from p 45 psychomotor activity,” slurred speech, in- creased heart rate progressing to slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, sedation, and coma. Of the 660 exposure cases of delta-8 THC products re- ported by the FDA between January 2021 and July 31, 2021, 18 percent required hos- pitalizations, including children who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Of the total exposures, 41 percent were un- intentional. This is largely because of misla- beling on products, says Dr. Frank LoVecchio, an emergency physician, medi- cal toxicologist, and addictionologist who works at Valleywise Health and Arizona State University, among other institutions. “There is the potential that consumers have adverse effects due to insufficient la- beling of products. The consumer would think they are consuming CBD, which doesn’t generally cause a ‘high,’ but in real- ity, it contains delta-8 THC, which is not as intoxicating as delta-9 THC, but is unex- pected,” LoVecchio says. “Patients and consumers would be subject to similar ef- fects as delta-9 THC and those effects would be unexpected.” “In other words, the labeling suggests minimal or no psychoactive effect, but ac- THE LABELING SUGGESTS MINIMAL PSYCHO- ACTIVE EFFECTS, BUT THAT’S NOT ALWAYS TRUE. tually does have an effect. These unex- pected effects could lead to alteration in thinking, perception, sedation, and even coma,” he continues. “Although death would be unexpected directly from the drug, inadvertent trauma, health care eval- uation, and unexpected consequences may occur.” The Federal Drug Administra- tion notes in its consumer update that the organiza- tion “is aware of media reports of delta-8 THC prod- ucts getting con- sumers ‘high,’” and expressed concern that such products “likely expose consum- ers to much higher levels of the substance than are naturally occurring in hemp can- nabis raw extracts. Thus, historical use of cannabis cannot be relied upon in estab- lishing a level of safety for these products in humans.” If someone is concerned about expo- sure to delta-8 THC or adverse side effects from the substance, the FDA recommends calling 911 or going to a local emergency room. the smell of weed, albeit unsuccessfully. Trying to make a house smell like weed without actually smoking it is a new one for me, but you’re not alone here. Using canna- bis as incense dates back thousands of years and spans several different cultures in ancient Africa, Mesopotamia, China, and Greece. Sure, most of them were more likely huffing than breathing, and this was before centuries of misinformation, but the point remains: Burning cannabis as part of incense is indeed a thing. You can buy DIY incense kits online at | ASK A STONER | BY HERBERT FUEGO Dear Stoner: I would like to add marijuana to homemade incense. Has that been done before? GILDA Dear Gilda: Most of us burn incense to mask Send questions to marijuana@ westword.com. sites like Etsy or make your own using a combination of certain tree gums and pow- der to bind together preferred herbs, spices, and smelly stuffs. If you want to grind up weed and add it to the mix, make sure it’s a very small amount and properly dried so that the incense burns evenly. May I suggest something skunky or sour, to re- ally embrace the stank? 43
