•Wana Brands, part of Canopy USA, has launched its hemp-derived THC products in retailers across Georgia. The move brings Wana to 24 states in total, with retail expansion—especially in the American South—a major priority for the brand, according to a statement from Canopy president Brooks Jorgensen. At launch three drinks and four varieties of gummies will be available in the state, with the drinks at 5 or 10mg per serving and the gummies coming in packs with 100mg total of THC.

•Illinois governor JB Pritzker is set to take executive action to regulate the state’s hemp-derived THC market, following legislative inaction. The governor, long a proponent of regulating hemp THC like the state regulates cannabis THC, said that he’s in talks with the hemp-derived industry but that his guidelines will be announced soon. While the governor may act on his own, the state legislature has one more chance, during its veto session in October, to pass an existing regulations bill. That bill, the Hemp Consumer Products Act, has already passed the state senate and has the support of the governor. All that remains is for the state house to vote on the bill.

•Hemp-derived THC company 1906 has launched 1906 Spirits, a new alcohol-free THC beverage. The drink is neutral-flavored and comes in 750-ml. bottles with 200mg of both THC and CBD. Each serving, according to the company, contains 10mg of THC and CBD. 1906 Spirits is currently available through the brand’s website for $60 a bottle with limited retail distribution coming to New Jersey at the end of the month through Fedway.

•The Appellate Court of Maryland has ruled that hemp-derived THC products are illegal in the state, shooting down a challenge from the Maryland Hemp Coalition. If the Hemp Coalition does not appeal, the ruling would prevent any intoxicating THC products from being sold and limit consumer access to THC to the state’s limited adult-use system. As of press time, no appeal had been announced.

•A group of eight Democratic senators has proposed federal regulations for hemp-derived THC products. They fear that without regulatory action, Republicans in Congress will redefine hemp in a way that amounts to an industry ban. In a letter to the Senate majority and minority leaders issued last week, the senators note that the industry is worth nearly $30 billion and “over 70% of hemp acreage is dedicated to cannabinoid production, according to the latest USDA data—and hemp even yields higher profits for farmers compared to corn or soybeans.”