What Is Delta 9o?
Amazing new cannabinoids are appearing all the time, and with them are coming just as many marketing gimmicks. Delta 9o is a bit of a mixture of both: It’s essentially the same thing as the cannabinoid known as THCO, but this upgraded form of THC is still unique and undeniably desirable for its enhanced potency.
What is delta 9o, is it really the same thing as THCO, and what are the benefits of using this THC alternative? Find the answers in this guide.
What is the cannabinoid delta 9o?
Delta 9o is an abbreviated name for delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol acetate, which is very similar to delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol acetate, the substance usually referred to as “THCO.” Developed in the 1970s as part of the Edgewood Arsenal Army cannabinoid experiments, THCO is believed to offer approximately 3x the potency of conventional THC.
THCO is what’s known as an “acetylated” compound, which generally offer higher potency regardless of the base substance used to make them. In fact, acetylation generally offers even greater potency increases than what has been observed in THCO. It’s possible that the inherent lipophilia of cannabinoids had already raised their potency to a relatively high value.
Delta 9o was designed for one purpose and one purpose alone: To push the potency of THC to the maximum possible heights. More research will need to be done before we know the exact results of this intrepid journey into the unknown.
How is delta 9o made?
Delta 9o (THCO) is made through acetylation, a process involving the application of an acetate substance (usually acetic anhydride) to a base cannabinoid extract. This cannabinoid extract usually consists of isolated CBD that has been converted into THC’s carboxylic acid precursor, THCA, via an enzymatic process.
This process almost exactly mirrors the steps used to make delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol acetate, the substance more commonly known as THCO. Throughout the years that THCO has been researched, however, both delta 8 and delta 9 have been used to make this compound, with the usage of solely delta 8 to make THCO a relatively recent result of the online industrial hemp revolution.
Now, certain online hemp producers have started making THCO with delta 9 instead of delta 8. This converted cannabinoid is generally called “delta 9o” to avoid confusion with existing forms of THCO on the market. The idea behind delta 9o is that the effects will be more potent than those offered by THCO made with delta 8, but it’s unclear if users will actually be able to feel the difference.
How is delta 9o different from delta 9?
Compared to conventional delta 9 THC, delta 9o has been acetylated, a process that reconfigures its chemical structure to make the compound more absorbable by your body. As a result, delta 9o offers increased potency over delta 9 — ostensibly, an even greater increase than is felt between delta 9 and conventional THCO made with delta 8.
It’s also important to point out that delta 9 and delta 9o are inherently different based on their origins. Delta 9 is the most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis, and it’s almost always naturally derived. Delta 9o, on the other hand, is not a natural cannabinoid and must be synthesized, a reality with both benefits and drawbacks.
On the one hand, delta 9o is its own unique chemical, so regulations pertaining to THC usually don’t apply. On the other, though, we know much less about the safety of delta 9o than we do about the safety of conventional THC.
Most importantly for users, delta 9o is a lot more potent than normal delta 9 THC. Whether you want to overcome your tolerance or simply use a decreased volume of cannabinoids throughout the day while still enjoying the same results, the appeal of acetylated cannabinoids like delta 9o is clear.
Is delta 9o the same thing as THCO?
Within the context of the modern hemp market, delta 9o and THCO are different because THCO is usually derived from delta 8 while delta 9o comes from delta 9. In the past, though, “THCO” could refer to any acetylated form of THC — even, theoretically, delta 10 or delta 11.
Over time, it’s possible that these cannabinoid names will stick, or they might be consolidated into an easier-to-understand lexicon. All you need to know for now, though, is that you should always determine if your THCO came from delta 8 or delta 9 if you believe that delta 9o offers a potency increase over conventional THCO.
Is delta 9o the same thing as THCP?
No, delta 9o and the natural cannabinoid THCP are quite a bit different. Though they’re similar in that THCP is believed to be more potent than conventional THC, THCP is naturally occurring in cannabis while delta 9o must go through multiple conversion processes to reach its final stage.
It may be a moot point since all the THCP currently on the market is synthesized anyway. This cannabinoid was only discovered in 2019, and it hasn’t yet been bred into any strains of cannabis in detectable concentrations yet. Fans of ultra-potent THC should perk up their ears, though, since THCP is rumored to be as much as 30 times as potent as conventional THC.
What are the effects of delta 9o?
As long as they’re pure and well-crafted, delta 9o products should make you feel the same way as delta 9 THC products do but with considerably increased potency. If it usually takes 2-3 vape hits for you to get thoroughly stoned, for instance, expect to get extremely high from just one small hit of delta 9o.
Is delta 9o legal?
The FDA has essentially signaled that all cannabinoids aside from delta 9 THC — even synthesized cannabinoids — remain excepted from the federal definition of the illegal drug “marijuana.” We still don’t know exactly where the legal status of synthetically converted cannabinoids like THCO and delta 9o stands, but in the absence of any noticeable enforcement effort, cannabinoid producers continue offering products containing synthesized cannabinoids like THCO online.
Is delta 9o safe?
Conventional delta 9 THC is generally considered to be quite safe and non-toxic even if it can have some considerable side effects. Compared to normal THC, though, we know next to nothing about the safety of converted THC compounds like delta 9o. Just keep in mind that the producer that makes your delta 9o products can make a big difference when it comes to safety.
Can I buy delta 9o online?
Yes, the first delta 9o products have just appeared on line. At this point, it appears that only a handful of vape products are available, but expect a wider array of vapes and other products to appear over the coming months as cannabis consumers catch onto the benefits of delta 9o.
The bottom line: Is delta 9o the new delta 8?
The heralds of delta 9o are labeling this cannabinoid as the “new delta 8,” but it might be more appropriate to call it the “new THCO.” In terms of degrees of separation from natural cannabinoids, delta 9o is at the same tier as THCO, not delta 8. Delta 8 must go through an additional process to become THCO, and so must delta 9 also be transformed once again (remember it began as CBD) to become the compound known as delta 9o.
As an alternative to existing forms of THCO on the market, delta 9o may, indeed, be preferable. The effects of delta 9 are generally believed to be greater than those of delta 8, for instance, so it would make sense that acetylated THC made with delta 9 would also be more potent than acetylated THC made with delta 8.
In the end, both forms of THCO vie for the position of “delta 8 killer.” They’re about equally effective, and even if one is more effective than the other, it doesn’t really matter for one important reason — you’re already going to be so much higher than you’ve ever been before that any additional increases to the potency of your THC experience will be the furthest thing from your mind.
Delta 9o FAQ
Learn more about delta 9o from these frequently asked questions:
1. Is delta 9o better than THC?
In terms of sheer potency, delta 9o certainly appears to be an improvement over conventional THC. There’s something to be said, though, for the inherent benefits THC offers by being a natural cannabinoid. We still don’t know enough about delta 9o to directly compare it to conventional delta 9.
2. What is the THCO experience like?
Users generally report that using THCO makes them feel about three times as high as they normally feel with THC. It’s common for the effects of THCO to take a while to kick in, though.
3. Is 3Chi delta 9o good?
The online hemp vape brand 3Chi appears to be the first company to offer delta 9o online. The safety and quality of this brand’s delta 9o products is unclear — track down third-party lab reports as the first step in vetting the safety of any online cannabinoid producer.
