Latest news with #Delta8
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- General
- Indianapolis Star
What's the difference between Delta 8 THC and marijuana or 'weed'?
Hoosiers might have started to notice gummy products labeled "Delta 8" or even "THC" in their corner stores or vape shops over the last few years. In the state legislature, lawmakers have been tinkering for years with bills to try to regulate these off-brand cannabis products that the federal government accidentally legalized. The difference between Delta 8 and the kind of marijuana we colloquially call "weed" or "pot" comes down to some chemistry and an arbitrary federal definition. They all come from the same plant, Cannabis sativa. This plant contains hundreds of chemical substances known as cannabanoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the psychoactive cannabanoid responsible for the "high" associated with marijuana. This is also called Delta 9 THC. Delta 8 THC is another cannabanoid in the plant. It's an isomer, or a slightly altered chemical compound related to Delta 9 THC, but less psychoactive. However, since there isn't a lot of naturally occurring Delta 8, most Delta 8 on the market is made in a lab and is derived from what the federal government now considers "hemp." That's where the federal definitions come in. In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress wanted to give farmers a legal way to make agricultural textiles from less potent varieties of the cannabis plant, or hemp. Lawmakers decided to codify a dividing line between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. Hemp would henceforth be known as dry cannabis flower with less than 0.3% concentration of Delta 9 THC, and marijuana, illegal on the federal level, is flower with higher concentrations. Cannabis cheat code: Marijuana is illegal in Indiana, but this loophole makes it complicated The Farm Bill didn't address isomers like Delta 8. So the market has innovated all kinds of products and derivatives from plants containing less than 0.3% Delta 9 ― or legal hemp ― including Delta 8, THCa and all kinds of other letters and numbers. This is the impact of the loophole: It's possible to sell products containing very high concentrations of Delta 8, enough to mimic intense psychoactive effects, and still abide by that federal definition. THCa, which can also be found in Indiana stores, is another example: when dry, it abides by the legal definition, but when exposed to heat, it chemically transforms into regular Delta 9 THC. A bill to regulate Delta 8 and other hemp-derived THC products died on the last day of the Indiana legislative session. Meanwhile, the cannabis industry is lobbying Congress heavily to pass an amendment that would close the loophole the Farm Bill created. For now, there remain no regulations on these products.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Task Force raids ‘Tobacco and Vape' stores in Randolph, Upshur counties
ELKINS, (WBOY) — Law enforcement officers say they recovered a quarter ton of illegal products when raiding five vape shops in north central West Virginia last week. According to a release, on June 5, members of the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force served search warrants at five Tobacco and Vape stores in Randolph and Upshur counties after receiving reports that minors under 18 were purchasing Delta 8 and Delta 9 products, as well as other illegal products that these stores were selling. Mon County man gets up to 75 years for sexually assaulting foster child As part of a joint operation with several area law enforcement agencies, task force members raided these stores, where they seized around 500 pounds of illegal or banned products with a street value of around $500,000. Law enforcement officers also seized a 'large sum' of cash. The release said that the investigation is ongoing in this case and that arrests are forthcoming. Task force members were assisted by the Buckhannon and Elkins Police Departments, Barbour, Lewis, Randolph and Upshur County Sheriff's Departments, West Virginia State Police, and Task Force Officers with the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This is not the first raid performed on vape shops in north central West Virginia. In July 2024, a man was arrested and charged with drug distribution after law enforcement raided two vape stores in Elkins and found $30,000 worth of drugs. In March 2025, law enforcement raided a similar shop in Kingwood and found suspected marijuana and a 'large amount of cash.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Republican-Led House Committee Passes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With THC
Delta-8, which contains tetrahydrocannabinol, which the FDA says has not been evaluated or approved ... More "for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put the public health at risk," according to the federal government website, is being marketed in the mid-Atlantic area, including in stores like this one in downtown Baltimore on May 12, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) A Republican-led House committee has approved a spending bill that includes a measure to ban all hemp products with THC nationwide, a move that could upend the entire U.S. hemp industry. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies approved on June 5 the fiscal year 2026 spending proposal in a 9–7 vote, sending it to the full Committee. The bill covers a wide range of issues, including hemp. One section of the bill would, in fact, redefine hemp under federal law to ban cannabis products that contain any 'quantifiable' amount of THC or any other cannabinoids with similar effects or marketed as such on people or animals. The language used to define hemp is similar to an amendment to the new Farm Bill that was approved last year by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. That amendment, proposed by Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, aimed to shut down the gray market for intoxicating hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC by closing the loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill. However, it wasn't ultimately enacted by the last Congress. Still, the goal remains the same: to close the hemp loophole that's led to a flood of unregulated, intoxicating products being sold online and at gas stations nationwide, as emphasized by the Committee's press release. Specifically, the bill would redefine hemp to exclude any finished hemp products that contain cannabinoids not naturally produced by the plant, cannabinoids that are naturally occurring but were made or altered outside the plant, any quantifiable amount of THC or THCA, or other cannabinoids with similar effects on people or animals. It would also give the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to decide what counts as a 'quantifiable amount' of THC or similar cannabinoids. At the same time, industrial hemp grown for industrial purposes would be treated differently, signaling a significant change to the current hemp definition, which, under the 2018 Farm Bill, meant plants with no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight before harvest. Paula Savchenko, Esq., founding partner of Cannacore Group and PS Law Group, said that the proposed legislation, while maintaining the legal status of industrial hemp for purposes such as fiber, grain, and certain edible products intended for human consumption, 'would effectively ban the vast majority of hemp-derived cannabinoids,' adding that 'its future will depend on further deliberations in Congress and potential revisions during the legislative process.' The bill is now set for discussion and possible amendments before the full House Appropriations Committee on June 11. Hemp was legalized nationwide in 2018 with the Farm Bill, which set a limit of 0.3% THC for cannabis grown for industrial purposes. This was meant to keep hemp products from having the intoxicating effects of recreational cannabis, which remains illegal at the federal level. But the rise of hemp cannabinoid extraction opened the door to products containing intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, which users say produces a similar high to traditional cannabis. These products are now widely sold in stores, gas stations, and online across the country. A 2022 study found they're especially popular in states that haven't legalized recreational cannabis. The gray legal status of hemp products with THC has stirred concern over both safety and regulation. Though technically legal under federal law, their effects closely mirror those of recreational cannabis, which is still banned at the federal level. That disconnect has left states scrambling, as businesses capitalize on a loophole in the Farm Bill to produce and sell these products with little oversight. The boom of hemp products with THC has, in fact, fueled what's expected to become a multi-billion dollar industry. But it has also pushed many states to step in with their own rules, some opting to regulate, others choosing outright bans. States like Minnesota, Iowa, and Kentucky have regulated products like delta-8 THC, while New York, Delaware, and Colorado, among other states, have banned them altogether. In recent months, Texas lawmakers have been trying to ban hemp products with THC. While states continue crafting their own rules on hemp products with THC, this federal bill could shut the entire market down by banning all such products nationwide and closing the loophole that allowed hemp products with THC to be sold legally under the 2018 Farm Bill. The move, however, has sparked a backlash from hemp industry associations. Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in a press statement that the group is 'deeply disappointed' with Rep. Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland, who chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Miller accused Harris of trying to 'shoehorn a farmer-crushing, job-killing hemp ban into a spending bill,' and expressed hope that the effort will fail, as it has in the past. Meanwhile, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is calling on lawmakers to reject proposed language that would redefine hemp in a way that bans any product with a 'quantifiable' amount of THC. The group warns that the ban on hemp products with THC would devastate legal businesses and drive demand toward the unregulated black market.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
West Virginia stepfather kills crying baby after hurling him in a fit of frustration
A heart-wrenching incident has unfolded in Jane Lew, West Virginia, where a 27-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death after allegedly throwing his 17-month-old stepson, which led to a fatal skull fracture. According to a report by WDTV, Zachary Williams was arrested after he confessed to police that he had thrown the crying infant out of frustration, causing the baby to hit his head on a bed frame and the floor. (Also read: Founder leaves US over inflation, now spends under ₹1 lakh/month in India: 'America is s**t expensive') Emergency medical services were called to a residence on McWhorter Road on Sunday after the baby had reportedly stopped breathing. Paramedics performed CPR and transported the child to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. Initial reports from the child's grandparents — who lived in the same home — indicated that the baby had seemed well earlier that day, aside from occasional cold symptoms. They told officers the child had bumped his head while crawling in the kitchen, resulting in a minor red mark above his left eye. Medical examiners later confirmed the bruise but initially observed no other suspicious physical injuries. According to WDTV, when police asked about substance or alcohol use in the home, the grandparents mentioned that the baby's mother occasionally smoked Delta 8, a cannabis-derived product, but always did so outside the house. They added that they had never suspected neglect from either parent. The baby's mother told officers that her son had been especially fussy that morning due to illness. After feeding him breakfast, she attempted to put him down for a nap but struggled, prompting her to wake Williams for help. As per the criminal complaint, Williams took the child into the bedroom, and shortly after, he began yelling for help. The mother found the baby limp and immediately called 911 while attempting CPR. Two days later, an autopsy revealed a severe skull fracture at the back of the baby's head — an injury the examining doctor confirmed was caused by significant trauma. Following the findings, police re-interviewed both parents. Williams then admitted to having thrown the child in a moment of frustration, stating, 'It was all my fault.' (Also read: Florida patient attacks Indian-origin nurse, breaks 'essentially every bone' in her face) Zachary Williams remains in custody at Central Regional Jail without bond. He faces charges of murder and child abuse causing death.
NDTV
05-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
US Man Kills Crying Baby After Throwing Him "Out Of Frustration"
New Delhi: A West Virginia stepfather admitted to fatally fracturing the skull of his wailing 17-month-old baby by throwing him "out of frustration." Zachary Williams, 27, admitted to tossing the crying baby, and police have charged him with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. In a fit of rage, Williams reportedly hurled his baby boy onto a bed frame and the floor, causing him to become pale and cease breathing instantly. The boy eventually died. The incident occurred at a residence in Jane Lew, some 100 miles northeast of Charleston, at roughly 9 am on May 25, per Law and Crime. Emergency workers were called to McWhorter Road in Jane Lew when a baby's breathing stopped. The boy was taken to the hospital by EMS, who tried CPR on him until officially pronouncing him dead an hour later. The mother reportedly told officers her son was "completely fine" when they woke up that morning. She claimed the boy had a cold and was more irritable than usual, refusing to take a nap. Williams told the authorities he went to the baby's bedroom and tried to calm him by bouncing him. He further claimed in the criminal complaint that the baby grew unresponsive and was "rigid and limp" upon being bounced. According to court documents, Williams admitted to hurling the child "out of frustration," which resulted in the infant's skull hitting the floor and a bed frame. Williams also said that "it was all his fault," according to the police. The child reportedly died from a "severe skull fracture on the back of the head," while police did not observe any significant injuries on him. According to police, the type of fracture was brought on by trauma. Authorities questioned the grandparents about whether anyone in the house used drugs or alcohol. The complaint claimed the child's mother would occasionally smoke Delta 8, a cannabinoid similar to marijuana, but only ever while she was not at home. The grandparents informed the police that they did not believe either parent had neglected the baby boy, WDTV reported. Williams is currently detained without bond at Central Regional Jail.
