Before we get into the review, we need to address a question you may already be asking yourself: What exactly is Delta 8 THC?
Most seasoned cannabis users know that the main psychoactive component in the cannabis plant is THC. This is an abbreviated name for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – notice the “Delta 9” in the name.
Without getting too far into chemistry, basically, the Delta 8 opposed to Delta 9 indicates that the double carbon bond in the THC molecule is located on the 8th carbon atom rather than the 9th. This seemingly small difference in chemical makeup actually leads to a quite different set of effects.
I’ll take a piece out of a more in-depth article I wrote about Delta-8 THC earlier in the year to briefly explain some of the unique effects of this cannabinoid vs. Delta-9 THC:
Summary of Delta-8 THC’s Effects
To summarize some of the medicinal benefits of Delta-8 THC:
- More effective at alleviating nausea and stimulating appetite than Delta-9-THC.
- Still psychoactive, but notably less than Delta-9-THC. Seems to be somewhat of a middle ground between CBD and Delta-9-THC in regards to psychoactive potency.
- Like other cannabinoids, Delta-8 is neuroprotective, which means it has potential use in preventing and/or treating age related mental degradation.
- Some accounts claim that the “high” from Delta-8-THC is more upbeat and productive than the high from Delta-9.
Now that we are all on the same page about exactly how Delta-8 THC is supposed to work, let’s see how Trulieve’s Delta-8:CBD ratio cart actually performed.
Quick Facts:
Strain Profile: Purple Punch
Extracted from: Charlotte’s Web x Lemon Tree
Batch/Harvest Number: FFOBBULZKU000002
Price at time of review: $50/0.5g pod
Cannabinoids
Delta-8 THC: 32.5%
Delta-9 THC: 10.6%
CBD: 31.5%
CBG: 0.5%
CBN: 1.1%
Total Cannabinoids: 76.2%
Terpenes
Beta-Myrcene: 0.3291%
Trans-Carophyllene: 0.0524%
Alpha-Bisabolol: 0.0586%
Alpha-Pinene: 0.2255%
Beta-Pinene: 0.2466%
Linalool: 0.2795%
Ocimene-1: o.1166%
R-Limonene: 1.4421%
Humulene: 0.0921%
Total Terpenes: 2.8425%
Taste:
These Delta-8 Ratio Trupods are made with plant terpenes, rather than cannabis-specific terpenes. Typically, I much prefer the taste of natural cannabis terpenes (they taste more like cannabis flower), but this particular Trupod formulation doesn’t have a bad taste at all.
With Limonene, Myrcene, and Linalool being the main terpenes in this distillate, there is definitely a sweet, slightly citrusy taste on the inhale.
The linalool and other terpenes become more evident on the exhale, as a more floral and slightly musky taste becomes apparent.
Actually, as I take multiple inhalations to write this review, I find that it tastes a bit similar to the indica Truclear distillates from Trulieve – though with less of the “licorice” taste I noted in the Grandaddy Purple distillate.
This is not a bad tasting product at all; however, I will always advocate for strain-specific cannabis terpenes. Among other things (like really nailing down the effects that are specific to the strain), they generally have a more authentic taste.
Taste Rating: 3.70/5.00
Overall Product Quality:
Trulieve’s Trupods are rebranded VFire pods, and I have always loved these carts. Clogging is never an issue unless you refill the pods more than once. I also really like the way the pod uses magnetism to lock into the TruStik, and how the style of the TruStik completely conceals the distillate so that nobody can see what you’re vaping.
The pod itself comes packaged in a box with a foam insert as seen above; I thought the triangular cutout (the Greek symbol for “delta”) was a nice touch as well.
The cart produces a smooth vapor that isn’t really harsh on the throat at all.
Overall, this is a very solidly designed product.
Vapor/Product Quality Rating: 4.20/5.00
Effects:
Finally, here we are. How exactly does Delta-8 THC feel?
It’s definitely still psychoactive, though not with nearly the sane “punch” as your standard Delta-8 THC. If I had to quantify it, I would say that Delta-8 is roughly 30% the potency of Delta-9.
I spent about a week of almost exclusively using this product to medicate, especially first thing in the morning, in order to get a really good feel for the effects and how they differ from Delta-9.
For me, Delta-8 (especially in this 1:1 ratio with CBD) seems like a good natural progression for patients who have strictly used CBD in the past. I imagine a scenario where a patient has been using CBD to medicate for anxiety and depression-like mental ailments; while the CBD does a good job of calming the patient down, it still feels like “something is missing” to help get the mind into the state that the patient is looking for. In that instance, I think this Delta-8:CBD product would be the perfect suggestion for a “next step”. It’s got enough of a psychoactive effect to help rewire some thought patterns in a way to help alleviate depression and negative thought patterns, without so much potency that it ends up exacerbating the patient’s pre-existing anxiety.
In the mornings, I felt this was a great way to get into focus for the day without being overwhelming by the potency of Delta-9 THC.
Something else I found interesting: While using this product, I had less of a desire to use my “traditional” Delta-9 medications, such as flower. When I did return to using them, I found that my tolerance had dropped, and the effects were much more potent than even the day prior. With that being said, I feel this may be a good choice for patients who are looking for a tolerance break, but perhaps still need something to help take the edge off the worst symptoms. This seems like a great product for tapering off one’s tolerance to help keep the medicine working as efficiently as possible.
Regarding the supposed appetite-stimulating effects of Delta-8: I never really had the full-on “munchies” when medicating with this product, but I always had the “I could eat right now” mentality, so perhaps it was subtly stimulating my appetite.
I did, however, find this to be an effective relief for nausea and stomach pain related to my anxiety, which seems to confirm both the anxiolytic and anti-nausea effects of Delta-8 in my experience.
In terms of overall effects, I would have to say this product felt like some sort of cross between CBD and a hybrid cannabis strain. I found myself focused, but not extremely cerebrally stimulated. Likewise, my body was relaxed, but never sedated.
If I were asked to rank this Delta-8:CBD product among various formulations of THC and CBD that I’ve tried, it would probably go like this:
CBD -> Delta-8:CBD 1:1 -> Delta-9:CBD 1:1 -> Delta-9 THC
This reiterates what I was describing above: I find it a suitable “natural progression” from CBD alone, but less psychoactive than a traditional THC:CBD 1:1 product.
Possibly good for treating:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- ADD/ADHD or focus-related issues
- Relief of minor to moderate aches and pains
- Relief of nausea/gastrointestinal issues
- Relief of headaches
- Possibly good for tolerance break from Delta-9 THC
Effects Rating: 4.10/5.00
Overall Rating: 4.00/5.00
Overall, I would describe Trulieve’s Delta8:CBD Ratio Trupod as a “very good, versatile” product.
I recommend that every cannabis patient give this product at least one try, if nothing else, for the chance to experience this unique cannabinoid and see if it relieves your condition(s) even better than CBD or THC alone.
Delta-8 is a relatively newer cannabinoid in terms of product development, so it will be very interesting to see what happens with these products in the future. Personally, I would love to see a pure Delta-8 THC C02 vape cart, with cannabis terpenes; I think that the combination of the cannabinoid being virtually isolated (as opposed to a 1:1 ratio with CBD), and the strain-specific cannabis terpenes, would truly bring out the most of the unique benefits that Delta-8 THC has to offer. Regardless, I have to hand it to Trulieve for being the first Florida MMTC to release a product with this cannabinoid. I think it has a lot of potential for medical use, even beyond what we know now. More research and time will tell.
As for this product: Give it a chance – it may be the best thing you’ve tried yet!
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As always, thank you for taking the time to read this review. Truly hope it helps you – we are here for you!
Florida Medical Cannabis Collective 