Welcome back to Higher Law, our weekly briefing on all things cannabis. I'm Cheryl Miller, reporting for Law.com from Sacramento

This week we're looking at:

  • A potential circuit split over hemp-synthesized intoxicants.
  • The first day of Ohio's adult-use law.
  • Nevada's new cannabis regulator.
  • Democratic governors' plea for legalization.

Thanks as always for reading. Got a story idea or feedback? You can send it all to me at [email protected]. You can also call me at 916.448.2935. Follow me on Twitter: @capitalaccounts

Large marijuana field ready for harvest at a hemp farm in Southern Oregon. Credit: Justin Briggs/Adobe Stock

Will the Debate Over Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Reach the Supreme Court?

A potential circuit split is developing over the legality of so-called hemp-synthesized intoxicants, or HSIs, the psychoactive cannabinoids such as Delta-8 and Delta-10 that can be found in products readily sold without restrictions in many smoke shops and convenience stores.

While state-regulated cannabis is subject to testing, tracking and labeling restrictions, HSIs exist in a legally gray world often free of such oversight. Some manufacturers argue that since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, products derived from the non-intoxicating cannabis cousin are free of regulations blanketing state-legal marijuana—even though lab work gives HSIs a psychoactive punch.