Best Delta 8 Products for Depression: Honest Reviews (Mar. 2023)

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There has been a lot of buzz about delta-8 THC, the weaker cousin of delta-9 THC.

Although research evidence is scarce, some people using delta-8 for depression have reported improved mood, increased motivation, and other therapeutic benefits.

The only problem is that the delta-8 market is filled with shady companies looking to cash in on the newest trend in cannabis. You have to be extremely careful if you want to find a safe and effective delta-8 THC product, whether it be a vape cart, gummies, tincture, or something else.

That’s why I researched, compared, and tested multiple brands to find the best delta 8 products for depression. 

Summary

The overall best delta-8 THC product for depression is the Extract Labs delta 8 cartridge. It works almost instantly and uses a full-spectrum formula, which means greater effects.

1. Best Overall: Extract Labs Delta 8 Extract Tank | Full review
2. Best Gummies: Summit Delta-8 THC Gummies | Full review
3. Best Tincture: Hometown Hero Delta 8 THC Tincture | Full review
4. Best Disposable Vape: Moonwlkr Delta 8 THC Disposable Vape | Full review
5. Best Chocolate: Extract Labs Delta 8 THC Chocolate Bar | Full review

Extract Labs Delta 8 Extract Tank (Best Overall & Best Cart)

My top pick for depression goes to the delta 8 vape tank from Extract labs.

This high-strength cartridge is full-spectrum and contains roughly 500 mg of delta-8 THC, CBD, CBG, and other beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes. The addition of CBD is particularly helpful as it’s been shown to have antidepressant properties (3).

Each 0.5-gram cartridge is compatible with any 510 thread battery and Extract Labs also sells its own vape battery. They come in 4 unique, terpene-infused cannabis strain flavors: martian candy, apple fritter, clementine, and garlic jam.

Founded in 2016 by an army veteran, Extract Labs offers both CBD and delta-8 products sourced from organic Colorado hemp.

Summit Delta-8 THC Gummies (Best Gummies)

My top pick is the delta-8 gummies from Summit. They come in four delicious assorted flavors: watermelon, strawberry, mango, and blue raspberry. I found these gummies delicious and effective, with a milder buzz than delta-9 THC.

They’re made with vegan, quality ingredients (like tapioca syrup instead of corn syrup, which has fewer calories and is completely natural).

Summit is a brand from the makers of R&R, a reputable, USDA-certified organic CBD company that’s been around since 2017. It provides complete third-party test reports done by Columbia Laboratories, one of the most trusted testing labs in the hemp/cannabis space.

Note: delta-8 edibles affect everyone differently and can have variable effects depending on how much you ate and other factors.

My experience: I took half a gummy and felt a notable buzz about 90 minutes later. I felt sleepy, relaxed, and a bit high, with the effects lasting for many hours.

Hometown Hero Delta 8 THC Tincture (Best Tincture)

Delta-8 tinctures are a great choice when you’re looking for longer-lasting effects. Myf top pick is the delta 8 tincture from Hometown Hero.

This tincture is available in berry, mint, and natural flavors. The berry-flavored version got 2nd place for best tincture at the High Times 2021 Hemp Cup.

Hometown Hero CBD is a Texas vendor best known for its intoxicating hemp products. It donates to veteran organizations and grows its hemp with sustainable methods.

My experience: I tested all three flavors but the 1200 mg berry was my favorite. I took half a dropper before bed and it helped me fall asleep. I also felt some euphoric effects.

Moonwlkr Delta 8 THC Disposable Vape (Best Disposable)

If you’re new to vaping or simply prefer the convenience of disposable pens, I recommend Moonwlkr. Its disposable vapes contain about 1500 mg of delta-8 THC and have a low price tag.

They’re available in five delicious flavors: mango kush, outer space sauce, pineapple train wreck, strawberry champagne, and tiger’s blood.

All Moonwlkr products come with comprehensive third-party tests verifying their potency and lack of contaminants.

Extract Labs Delta 8 THC Chocolate Bar (Best Chocolate)

If you’re a fan of chocolate, you should check out the delta 8 dark chocolate bar from Extract Labs. It has a 1:1 ratio of delta-8 to CBD (52 mg of each), which is notable since CBD also has antidepressant properties (3).

This delicious, vegan-free treat is a great alternative to delta-8 gummies, especially if you’re new to delta-8 and concerned about anxiety and other potential side effects.

Extract Labs is a reputable CBD brand out of Colorado that uses local organic hemp and has all of its products tested by a third-party lab. It was founded by army veteran Craig Henderson.

How I Choose the Best Delta 8 Products

You have to consider several factors to find safe, effective delta 8 products. Delta 8’s rapid rise in popularity means that many shady manufacturers are offering low-quality products to make a quick buck.

Here are the criteria I used to find quality products:

• Third-party test results (to verify the delta-8 content and lack of contaminants)
• Product formula (to get the best effects)
• Product potency (to make sure it’s strong enough to provide a benefit)
• Company reputation (to verify that the company can be trusted)
• Price (to get a good deal)

Read on for a detailed explanation of these criteria, especially if you want to choose delta-8 products on your own.

Look for Third-Party Tested Brands

Third-party tests are necessary to confirm the potency and safety of delta-8 products. They help protect consumers from products that contain less delta-8 than advertised, illegal delta-9 THC levels, or carry contaminants.

Performed by an independent lab, these tests check the levels of delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and other cannabinoids. They can also check for pesticides, heavy metals, mold, and other contaminants. 

Contaminant tests are especially important for delta-8 because it’s usually made from CBD through a chemical process that uses solvents that must be removed afterward.

Any delta-8 company worth its salt sends its products for independent testing and posts the test results on its website. A lack of these test documents is a major red flag.

I check the test results for all of the products I review to make sure they contain the advertised levels of delta 8 and no contaminants.

I also check the delta-9 THC levels, because the process used to make delta-8 from CBD can produce a sizable amount of delta-9 THC. Unless this extra delta-9 is removed, it can end up in the final product, making it both illegal and potentially unsafe.

Product Formula

Similar to CBD, delta-8 products can come with different formulas. Some products contain delta-8 isolate: pure delta-8 THC without any other active compound.

Many others carry delta-8 with a smaller amount of delta-9 THC because delta-9 is produced when you convert CBD into delta-8.

You can also have full-spectrum delta-8, which will carry delta-8 plus the full range hemp cannabinoids (CBD, delta-9 THC, and minor cannabinoids) and terpenes. 

Full-spectrum cannabis products are considered more effective than those containing only one cannabinoid thanks to the entourage effect: the synergy between cannabinoids and terpenes (1). 

In particular, I recommend using a product that contains significant amounts of CBD alongside delta-8, because early studies suggest that CBD may have antidepressant effects (3).

Product Potency

Also known as strength, potency is the concentration of cannabinoids in a product. 

For example, if your delta-8 vape cart has a potency of 95%, that’s very high as it translates to 950 mg of delta-8 per gram/ml. Similarly, a tincture with 50 mg of delta-8 per ml is stronger than one with 25 mg.

I look for high-potency products to make sure they’re strong enough to give everyone the desired effects. They also allow you to use smaller doses (fewer puffs, gummies, tinctures, etc.) to get an effect.

Company Reputation

Brand reputation is another critical factor when shopping for delta 8.

This is even more true for delta-8 than CBD because it’s in a legal gray area. That’s why I do thorough research to find the best delta-8 brands.

I look for brands that have positive customer reviews, make it easy to check third-party lab test results to verify the safety and efficacy of their products, list their hemp source, and provide other info to build trust with customers.

Price

Delta-8 products are not necessarily cheap. I try to find high-quality products that are reasonably priced. I also help you see if the prices you’re paying are low, average, or high by providing the price per milligram (mg) of delta 8. 

Generally speaking, the average prices for delta-8 products are:

• Tinctures:$0.06 per mg of delta-8 THC
• Gummies: $0.08 per mg
• Capsules: $0.08 per mg
• Cartridges: $0.06 per mg
• Distillate: $0.03 per mg
• Disposable vape pens: $0.06 per mg

This means prices below these points are considered low, so you’re getting a good deal, whereas those above are expensive.

Delta 8 for Depression: What Does The Research Say?

Delta-8 THC has seen little scientific research. Having said that, we do know that many cannabinoids may have antidepressant properties. 

In particular, there’s evidence that delta-9 THC (what most of us know as “regular” THC) has antidepressant effects (4). Since delta-8 has a similar structure to delta-9, it’s likely that it shares this effect.

Aside from that, there are many anecdotal reports of delta-8 THC users who report that it improved their depression. 

In particular, delta-8 is reported to have euphoric and mood-lifting effects. Many people also find that delta-8 can reduce anxiety, which is a common co-occurring mental condition in people with depression. 

Using Delta 8 for Depression: Product Options

You can either take delta 8 regularly or as needed to manage your depression symptoms.

Similar to CBD, delta-8 can be used in three main ways:

• Inhalation via smoking flower or vaping a cartridge
• Orally, as capsules, gummies, or other edibles
• Sublingually, as a tincture

If you’re looking for immediate depression relief, inhalation is the best method of taking delta-8. However, it will also last shorter than other methods, typically about 1-4 hours (5).

The most popular inhalation method is to vape a delta-8 cartridge, although you can also use hemp flower that’s been coated with delta-8.

If you want the longest-lasting effects (6+ hours), oral products such as gummies can be a good option. However, they can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to kick in depending on when and how much you ate.

Also, keep in mind that edibles affect everyone differently and have the most inconsistent effects of any administration method.

The third option is to use a sublingual (under-the-tongue) tincture, the same method used by CBD oil. This route will give you longer effects than inhalation and kick in faster than edibles — usually about 15-40 minutes (6). 

You can also buy delta-8 distillate, the purest form of delta-8 THC, and use it to make your own vape juice, tinctures, edibles, and more.

Delta 8 Dosage for Depression

The ideal dosage of delta-8 and any other cannabinoid varies from person to person. Many factors can influence it, such as your body weight, genetics, familiarity with cannabis, the severity of your depression, and the type of product you’re taking.

That’s why healthcare experts recommend starting with a low dose and slowly raising it (7). 

For example, you might start with one puff of a delta-8 vape cart or 10 mg of a gummy or tincture and see how you feel over the next two hours. You can then gradually raise your dosage over time until you get the desired effects.

If you’ve previously used regular THC, you can also use those dosages as a starting point. For example, if you normally take 10 mg delta-9 THC gummies, you can start with a 10 mg delta-8 gummy.

Safety and Side Effects

There haven’t been many studies on delta-8 so we don’t know too much about its side effects. 

Having said that, one of the only studies on the effects of delta-8 THC reported that it caused similar but weaker side effects to delta-9 THC, including dizziness, dry mouth, red eyes, and impaired memory (8).

If you’re taking any prescription antidepressants, it’s best to consult your doctor before using delta-8 THC.

Buying Delta 8: Red Flags

I want to stress that delta-8 products are more likely to be unsafe, illegal, and inaccurate than their CBD counterparts. 

Delta 8 became popular almost overnight and is currently in a legal gray area because lawmakers never expected the cannabis industry to find a way to make intoxicating products from hemp. 

This means the delta-8 market has attracted plenty of shady companies who want to make quick money without much regard for product quality.

If you’re going to shop for delta-8 on your own, you should buy from online shops instead of physical stores. I also recommend watching out for these red flags:

• Lack of third-party test results. This is the best and only way to confirm you’re getting a safe product with the advertised amount of delta-8.
• Lack of a website. If you can’t even find a company’s website online, that’s a good indication they can’t be trusted. 
• Wild health claims. Steer clear of brands that promise to cure symptoms and conditions with their delta-8 products. 
• Products with illegal delta-9 THC levels. It’s always best to read over a product’s third-party test results to make sure they match not only the advertised delta-8 content but also contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, which is the legal limit for hemp products.

As a final note, always favor brands that do third-party testing for contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, mold, and more) over those that only test for potency (the levels of cannabinoids).

Delta 8 FAQs