Delta-8

Illinois lawmakers last week joined representatives of the licensed cannabis industry to call for a ban on intoxicating hemp products including delta-8 THC. Under one proposal, non-intoxicating hemp products would be regulated with rules for licensing hemp businesses and the testing and labeling of hemp products. Synthetically produced hemp products such as delta-8 THC, however, would be banned by the legislation. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp agriculture and hemp products, ending the prohibition of the crop that had been… Read more.

More than one in 10 high school seniors reported recent use of products with delta 8 THC, according to the results of a study published this week. The study found that approximately 11% of 12th-grade students said that they had used delta 8 during the past year, reflecting the widespread availability of the hemp-derived cannabinoid that is sometimes referred to as “diet weed” or “light THC.” The new research analyzed data from the Monitoring the Future survey, an ongoing study of the behaviors,… Read more.

A Republican state senator has filed legislation to renew last spring’s failed effort to regulate intoxicating hemp products in Missouri, such as Delta-8 drinks and edibles. Delta-8 THC products can be sold in stores in Missouri because the intoxicating ingredient, THC, is derived from hemp, not marijuana which is a controlled substance. And hemp is federally legal. There’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy them or stores can’t sell them to minors—though some stores and… Read more.

Prohibition may unintentionally promote the use of delta 8 THC in states without medical or adult-use cannabis laws, according to a new federally funded study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Cannabinoids synthesized from hemp have not-so-quietly moved from the shadows into a glaring multi-billion dollar market, but their safety and legal status have raised serious concerns within the federal government. “Higher delta 8 THC use in states without medical or adult-use cannabis laws suggests that cannabis… Read more.

The delta-8 THC market is bigger than ever before, regulated like hemp, but South Carolina could change that if one proposal takes root. Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (D-Spartanburg) filed a bill under South Carolina’s upcoming legislative session that seeks to create regulations around delta-8 THC and similar products, which can be sold anywhere that hemp products are sold. H. 4628 was prefiled in the South Carolina House Nov. 16, and referred to the Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs. The bill would… Read more.

On January 16, the Regulatory Services Division (RSD) of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that officials were accepting applications for new licenses under the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) for dispensing organizations. Prospective applicants for the new medical cannabis dispensary licenses could utilize the designated RSD application form for submission. The application period ended at 5 p.m. C.T. on April 28. Individuals who had previously applied for a cannabis retail license could reapply using an updated application form.… Read more.

The hemp-derived cannabinoid market is hotter than ever but experts warn that people should educate themselves about the fundamental differences between delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC products. High Times previously reported that delta-8 THC was first partially synthesized in 1941, yet there’s still a lot of controversy surrounding the ingredient, due to the way it’s extracted and converted.  Nextar reports that a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor and other experts want to educate people about the choices they should make with cannabis. “Chemically, they’re… Read more.

A Texas appeals court upheld a temporary injunction against a state ban on delta-8 THC on Thursday, a win for a coalition of businesses and consumers contesting the ban’s legitimacy. The block had been initially issued in response to an enforcement move by the Texas Department of State Health Services and its commissioner. Officials had declared via an update to a consumable hemp program webpage that products exceeding 0.3% of delta-9 THC as legal, but all other THC types, including any… Read more.

An association of regulators of state cannabis programs is asking Congress to include in the next Farm Bill new rules governing hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids, including a new definition for what constitutes “hemp” versus marijuana. If adopted, the proposed rules would have broad implications for products containing hemp-derived, intoxicating cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC. Such products have exploded in popularity since the 2018 Farm Bill was enacted. The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) asked House and Senate committee chairs in a Sept. 15 letter to… Read more.

Most people over the age of 21 are familiar with the abbreviation “THC,” but odds are, many of them couldn’t tell you what it means or how it works. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound in the cannabis plant that gives you that prototypical euphoric cannabis high.  The cannabis plant also produces THCA, short for tetrahydrocannabinol acid, in the arrangement known as delta-9 THCA. However, the THCA and THC molecules can be forced into other arrangements, called isomers. Delta-9 THC,… Read more.

In at least a temporary victory for the Arkansas hemp industry, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a recent state ban on products containing intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC. Calling the ban confusing and arbitrary, U.S. District Court Judge Billy Roy Wilson on Thursday granted an injunction that stops the state from enforcing it, according to Little Rock TV station KTHV. The judge’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by four hemp-product makers in July – the day before the ban was to… Read more.

The new and continuing science of plant-derived substances like cannabis, hemp and kratom is providing a market of products that goes beyond traditional dispensary options. What if there was a one-stop resource to learn and shop quality, plant-based products that meet your unique health and wellness needs? Enter CBD Kratom, the largest privately-owned CBD and kratom retailer in the US. With over 60 retail locations and an online dispensary shop, CBD Kratom is committed to helping customers lead healthy and fulfilling lives… Read more.

The federal government is cracking down on delta-8 edibles that resemble popular snack foods, according to letters two agencies sent to six manufacturers. Though the letters cite violations of federal law related specifically to copycat products, the warnings hint a broader crackdown on edibles containing the minor cannabinoid could be on the way. The warning letters, sent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), accused six companies—Delta Munchies, Dr. Smoke LLC, Exclusive Hemp Farms/Oshipt, Nikte’s… Read more.

Disagreement over how to handle delta-8 THC – and whether to ban the controversial hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoid, or regulate it like marijuana – have thwarted broader cannabis industry reform efforts in Illinois. According to Capitol News Illinois, a marijuana industry reform bill that failed at a May legislative deadline would have: Increased the canopy space for craft growers. Allowed dispensaries to operate drive-thru windows and offer curbside pickup. Offered social equity retail license holders another year to secure real estate. However, a… Read more.

Kentucky’s governor signed a bill into law that establishes a framework to test, label and regulate delta-8 and outlaws sales to those younger than under 21. The bill, which was approved by the state’s Republican-led House and Senate, also bans possession for those younger than 21 and requires retailers to keep those products behind a counter, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s signing comes after his executive order last year that regulated packaging and labeling of delta-8 products. “We did… Read more.