Maryland’s second-highest court has delivered a decisive ruling that effectively closes the state’s “hemp loophole,” declaring that intoxicating hemp-derived products such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC “are now and have always been illegal in Maryland” for sale outside the regulated cannabis system. In a 72-page opinion issued on September 9, 2025, the Appellate Court of Maryland reversed a lower court’s preliminary injunction, allowing the state to enforce its cannabis licensing laws against businesses like vape shops, convenience stores, and gas stations selling these psychoactive products.