GREENSBORO, N.C. — People packed downtown Greensboro this weekend for a cannabis crawl, stopping at places like Chandler’s, Little Brother Brewing and Grey’s Tavern to try THC-infused drinks, gummies and other products.

Most of what they were trying isn’t marijuana under North Carolina law — it’s hemp.

Under federal law passed in 2018, hemp is legal if it contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by weight. That has opened the door for products made with hemp-derived cannabinoids, including delta-8 and hemp-derived delta-9 — which can still have intoxicating effects.

“I mean, I think it’s really cool… I think it’s a sign of a good change in Greensboro. It’s growing, it’s progressing,” said Ne’Ava Davis, a local business owner.

But marijuana remains illegal in North Carolina.

A recent interim report from the North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis says the market for these hemp-derived THC products has grown quickly, without consistent statewide rules.

The report calls the current system a “wild west” and says North Carolina is operating in a space that is “neither true prohibition nor meaningful regulation.”

It also highlights how widespread use still is.

The report estimates North Carolinians spent about $3 billion on illegal marijuana in 2022, suggesting hemp products haven’t replaced traditional use.

“I travel a lot… I feel like North Carolina is a little behind… I think it should be legalized everywhere,” one man at the event said.

The advisory council does not recommend a single solution, but lays out options for lawmakers — including stricter rules on hemp products or a regulated adult-use cannabis market.

Even some people at the event said any changes should come with limits.

“We could definitely legalize it if it’s controlled… so young teens don’t get into it,” Davis said.

Gov. Josh Stein echoed those concerns in a statement about the report, calling the current system “the Wild West” and saying the state needs a “safe, legal, and well-regulated market for adults.”

For now, hemp-derived THC products remain legal.

But that could change. The report points to a federal update set to take effect in November 2026 that would tighten the definition of hemp — a move that could limit many of the products people are using today.