'Serious health risks': Industry experts warn of contaminants in marijuana alternative delta-8

Suzan Kennedy wasn't concerned earlier this year when a bartender in St. Paul, Minnesota, described a cocktail with the cannabinoid delta-8 THC as "a little bit potent." Kennedy's Wisconsin roots meant she could handle booze, she said, and she had smoked marijuana before.

Hours after enjoying the tasty drink and the silliness that reminded Kennedy of a high from weed, she said, she started to feel “really shaky and faint” before collapsing in her friend’s arms. Kennedy regained consciousness and recovered, but her distaste for delta-8 remains, even though the substance is legal at the federal level, unlike marijuana.