Legality for popular delta-8 THC is questionable in Iowa

• Recreational marijuana is federally illegal but quickly expanding in neighboring states, including Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota, and is bringing in hundreds of millions in tax revenues.

What it is: Delta-8 and -9 look just like what you would find at a dispensary, but the THC in them is produced from hemp instead of the cannabis plant, making them legal under a federal loophole.

• THC is the psychoactive chemical that gets people high.

Zoom in: Under Iowa law, hemp products are legal as long as the THC is capped at .3%.

• State law regulates which items can be sold. Stores can sell gummies and lotions, but they can't sell anything that's combustible, such as flower that's smoked in a pipe.
• The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals regulates consumable hemp and has a list of approved retailers.

Yes, but: The rules can be confusing. Buying delta-8 and -9 products online — including those with higher THC levels — and getting them shipped is incredibly easy, but consumers may unknowingly be purchasing products considered illegal here.

• Hemp or CBD food products from another state, for example, are illegal.

What they're saying: The Polk County Attorney's office would determine potential prosecution of delta-8 and delta-9 products on a "case-by-base" basis due to the complicated laws, spokesperson Lynn Hicks tells Axios.

• The Iowa Attorney General's Office did not respond to requests for comment.

The other side: The FDA warns the products made by companies producing THC from hemp are unregulated and could include dangerous chemicals.