What 'Semi-Synthetic' Means, and How a Ban Was Floated at NC's Cannabis Council

On October 27, North Carolina's Advisory Council on Cannabis held its full meeting, and one question stood out from the rest. It was not about a single product or a single shop. It was about a whole category: should North Carolina recommend banning semi-synthetic cannabinoids?

No vote was taken, and no recommendation was adopted. The Council heard how these products are made, a framework for regulating them was raised in discussion, and staff are now writing the first draft of the Council's recommendations. This article explains the terms in plain English, what was actually raised, and what has not been decided yet. It is for general information and is not legal advice.

The meeting is available to watch on the Council's October 27 livestream.

What the Council Heard on October 27

The Council heard a presentation on synthetic cannabinoids from Brandon Jeffery of the Colorado Department of Revenue, followed by presentations on North Carolina farming and a Council discussion. The October 27 agenda lists both parts of the meeting.

Jeffery's presentation raised an important distinction: a cannabinoid's chemical identity is not the same as the process used to make it. Some cannabinoids occur naturally in cannabis but can also be produced through chemical conversion. Others are made using chemical processes and starting materials that differ from those found in the plant.

In this debate, semi-synthetic generally refers to cannabinoids made by chemically converting a plant-derived compound, such as CBD, into another compound. Delta-8 THC is a common example because concentrated amounts sold commercially are typically made from hemp-derived CBD. Delta-8 also occurs naturally in the plant in very small amounts, and CBD can be converted into delta-9 THC as well. The terminology is not always used consistently, so the production method and the final product need to be considered separately.

Jeffery also addressed whether the source of a molecule matters when the molecule itself is the same. In answer to a question about a delta-9 THC gummy, he said there is no real public safety difference between synthetically made and plant-derived delta-9 THC if the molecule is the same, with the important caveat of what else might be in the product. That is the case for manufacturing standards and testing, rather than a ban based only on how a molecule was made.

On Colorado's own approach, Jeffery said the state allows semi-synthetics for hemp products only under restrictions: the starting material must come from cannabis or hemp, and the conversion must be a one-step reaction from one cannabinoid directly into another. Enforcement, he said, comes mainly from regulators inspecting manufacturers' processes, chemicals, equipment and testing results, rather than from testing alone. He added a nuance that matters for readers: on Colorado's medical and adult-use marijuana side, semi-synthetic and synthetic pathways are not allowed.

What the Farmers Presented

After Jeffery's presentation, Gary Sikes of Bountiful Harvest Farm and Patrick Brown of Brown Family Farms presented on North Carolina farming considerations, followed by Council discussion. We will cover the farmers' presentation in a separate article. The farming presentation matters here for one reason: it showed the other side of the same policy question, the growers who would have to live under whatever framework the Council eventually recommends.

The Three-Part Framework Raised by Dr. Carrie Brown

During the discussion, Dr. Carrie Brown raised a three-part framework for consideration, framed as what she would do if the goal was to make the market as safe as possible:

1. Regulate the molecule rather than the flower. In other words, judge a product by what is in it and how strong it is, not only by where it came from.

2. Ban semi-synthetic and synthetic cannabinoids.

3. Limit the per-serving total dose.

The first part points toward regulation by strength and safety. The second part points toward removing a whole category from the market. The third part points toward limits that would apply to products that stay on the market. Jeffery replied that this approach aims for simplicity, and that simplicity can help public safety.

It is important to be clear about the status of this framework. It was raised in discussion. It was not voted on, and it was not adopted as a Council recommendation. The Council is advisory only. Even if a version of this framework ends up in its final report, the General Assembly would still have to act before anything becomes law in North Carolina.

Why This Matters for Shoppers Today

If a semi-synthetic ban were recommended and then adopted by lawmakers, it would change what can be sold in North Carolina. Products made by converting CBD into delta-8 or delta-9, which are common on shelves today, would be the products most affected.

That has not happened yet. Nothing about the October 27 discussion changes what a shop can sell today, and nothing in it changes the federal dates that are already on the calendar.

Readers should also keep the state and federal questions separate. The Council is discussing what North Carolina should recommend. The federal changes on November 12 and December 11 are a different set of rules, and we explained both dates in our guide to what changes on November 12 and December 11.

Separately, starting December 11, the federal definition of hemp also excludes cannabinoids that can occur naturally but were synthesized or manufactured outside the plant, according to the Congressional Research Service. How that applies to specific converted products, such as delta-8, depends on federal guidance that has not yet been published, so this article does not place delta-8 on a single federal date.

The Council discussion is about a state recommendation, and it should not be read as a federal ruling.

We explained how the Council was created and what it was asked to do in our guide to the Advisory Council on Cannabis.

The Timeline From Here to December 31

The October 27 meeting also set the drafting timeline. Here is what was laid out:

1. Staff is writing the first draft of the recommendations for the Council co-chairs.

2. The draft will then go to all Council members, followed by one-on-one meetings.

3. A second draft is expected a few weeks later.

4. The full Council meets in person on November 17, from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

5. The final report is due to the governor on December 31, 2026.

The Council's main page lists the November 17 in-person meeting at DHHS headquarters, Room 01210. See the North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis page for the current meeting list.

What is public and what is not also matters. Minutes from the full Council's October 27 meeting have not been posted, and the Council's October 16 and October 23 Market and Regulatory meetings have no posted minutes. The October 14 Public Safety Subcommittee minutes are posted. Readers who want to follow this closely should watch the November 17 meeting, because that is the next point where a raised framework could move toward a recommendation, or could change.

The discussion puts a significant policy question on the table, but no decision has been made.

What the Council Has Not Decided About Semi-Synthetic Cannabinoids

• The Council has not decided to ban semi-synthetic cannabinoids.

• The Council has not decided on a dose cap, or on what that cap would be.

• The Council has not decided whether testing and manufacturing standards should replace a category ban.

• The General Assembly has not voted on any Council recommendation, because no final report exists yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What does semi-synthetic actually mean?

It generally means a cannabinoid made by chemically converting a plant-derived compound, such as CBD, into another cannabinoid, such as delta-8 or delta-9. It is different from a cannabinoid the plant produces on its own in commercial amounts, and different from a compound made entirely in a lab. Because the terminology is not always used consistently, the production method and the final product need to be considered separately.

Q. Does the Council's discussion ban anything today?

No. No vote was taken, and no recommendation was adopted on October 27. The framework discussed was raised for consideration. A ban would only take effect if the Council recommended it, lawmakers adopted it, and it became law.

Q. Which products would a semi-synthetic ban reach?

It would reach products made by converting CBD into delta-8 or delta-9, which many North Carolina shoppers buy today, not only compounds made entirely in a lab. The exact scope would depend on how any future rule is written.

Q. What should I watch next?

Watch the November 17 in-person Council meeting and the December 31 final report. Those are the points where a raised framework either becomes a recommendation or does not, and where lawmakers will first see the Council's full position before the 2027 session.