A pair of Democratic state lawmakers in Tennessee this week introduced a bill to legalize both medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis in the state. The bill, known as the “Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act” (HB0085), was introduced in the House by Representative Bob Freeman—supported by fellow Democrat Senator Heidi Campbell—on Tuesday.
“This bill will support medical and recreational cannabis use because many other states already have recreational use,” Campbell said in a statement quoted by local media.
Bill Legalizes Possession Of Up To 60 Grams Of Weed
If passed, the bill would legalize the possession, use, and transportation of up to 60 grams of marijuana or up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates for adults aged 21 and older. The measure also legalizes the home cultivation of up to 12 cannabis plants by adults in a secure location at home. Under the bill, parents and legal guardians would also be permitted to administer medical cannabis products to their minor children with a doctor’s authorization.
“It’s a full legalization of cannabis across the state,” Freeman noted in a statement last month.
The bill also legalizes commercial cannabis activity and tasks the Tennessee Department of Agriculture with drafting regulations to govern the cultivation, processing, and sale of cannabis and cannabis products in the state. The measure notes that more than three dozen states have legalized marijuana in some form and that Tennessee should follow suit “in order to remain competitive nationally and globally in the burgeoning cannabis industry.” The lawmakers also note that legal cannabis is readily available in five states that border Tennessee.
“If people can drive across the border to Indiana to get cannabis, then it doesn’t make any sense that we in Tennessee would be missing out on that economic advantage,” Campbell said.
Tennessee Still Prohibits All Marijuana
Tennessee is one of the few states that have yet to pass legislation to legalize marijuana, even for medicinal use. Freeman said that legalizing recreational marijuana would put an end to the disproportionate enforcement of laws that prohibit the possession and use of cannabis.
“If you live in a wealthy part of the state and a wealthy community in our city, and you get picked up using some cannabis for personal consumption, the odds of you getting a slap on the wrist and nothing happening is pretty high,” he said last month. If you live in a poorer neighborhood and you get picked up with cannabis, you’re going to jail.”
Legal Pot Available In Neighboring States
Three states bordering Tennessee—Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama—have legalized medical marijuana, while neighboring Missouri and Virginia have legalized both medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis. Proponents of legalization argue that Tennessee is missing out on tax revenue from the money residents spend on cannabis in neighboring states.
“Let’s not delude ourselves that people aren’t crossing the border and getting cannabis from other states. Of course they are,” Campbell said. “So, that’s just income we’re missing out on.”
Tennessee Democrats Support Legalization
Freeman and Campbell’s proposal is supported by fellow Democratic lawmakers in the Tennessee legislature. House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons praised the bill last month after they announced their plan to introduce the legislation.
“The legalization of cannabis in Tennessee is long overdue. For too long, much of the TN GOP has stood in the way,” Clemmons wrote in a tweet. “Let’s do this in 2023!”
Previous attempts to legalize marijuana in Tennessee have met stiff opposition from Republican lawmakers, who enjoy a solid majority in both the state Senate and the House of Representatives. Republican state Senator Richard Briggs said that he opposes both medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis, noting the federal law has already made CBD legal nationwide.
“I’m not in favor at all of recreational marijuana and I have a lot of concerns about medical marijuana until we know more about it,” Briggs said. “I don’t think that it should be generally available. And at least at this point until something changes.”
Despite Republican opposition, Freeman rates the chance that the Tennessee legislature will legalize marijuana this year as “a solid 7, 7.5,” on a scale of one to 10. But Campbell expressed far less optimism.
“Pretty low—I won’t give you a number,” she said, “but I have no delusions we’re going to pass it this session.”
But Campbell added that introducing the legislation is still important to keep the conversation about cannabis policy reform moving forward.
“We ran it last session, and I think it’s important to run it so that we keep the issue alive, we keep the messaging going,” she said. “Obviously, at some point, that’s going to happen, so we’re just going to keep knocking on that door until somebody opens it.”
If it doesn’t pass this time we are moving to a legal state. It’s completely absurd that alcohol which is toxic can be legal but cannibus cannot. We need some of these older people in office to die off so the younger more progressive democrats can actually make decisions the majority of us want. Not what THEY want.
Never gonna happen.
Tennessee and Kentucky have both been states that have grown large amounts of cannabis in the past. I’m the 80s and 90s, the two states grew as much as the entire west coast. We have the soil, the climate that is ideal for it. We have families decended from moonshiners. It’s a natural progression. We should make it legal. Open up prison cells for violent criminals, tax it to fund schools. A decade ago I took a trip to Australia. And was surprised to learn that Tennessee cannabis quality was well known there. Let’s make a business out of it..
Same here. My children are grown, I live alone in a 5 bedroom house, with a sizeable camper in my driveway. I’d prefer that Tennessee would legalize cannabis, but if it doesn’t happen this time around, I’m renting my house out and moving my “camper” to a state I can legally grow my own in. That 8×10 room in the front of it is more than large enough to grow my personal use quantities in. I really do love the Ozark mountains anyway. This 5 bedroom house could be a nice space to grow my own smoke in, it can give me a nice rental income. Either way, I’m growing my own legal cannabis next year. And I know three other Tennesseeans with the same basic plan.
Same here. I have a large camper in my driveway, the bootheel of Missouri is a little over an hour away. One way or another, I WILL be growing legal cannabis next year. I’ve got 4 empty bedrooms in the house, the camper has one bedroom more than big enough to grow personal use amounts in. Either way is OK with me.
How about every person who wants it legal march on the capital court house 4-20-2023 and demand legalization or our politicians can find a new job because they will not be voted in next election
They seriously need too legalize both I mean it’s gonna benefit them as well as us & in my opinion marijuana is better for chronic pain than pain bills& alcohol it’s not addicting at all like the pills & alcohol I mean come on everyone else is legalizing why not us
Tennessee and Kentucky have both been states that have grown large amounts of cannabis in the past. I’m the 80s and 90s, the two states grew as much as the entire west coast. We have the soil, the climate that is ideal for it. We have families decended from moonshiners. It’s a natural progression. We should make it legal. Open up prison cells for violent criminals, tax it to fund schools. A decade ago I took a trip to Australia. And was surprised to learn that Tennessee cannabis quality was well known there. Let’s make a business out of it..