GOP lawmakers are questioning the legalization of MMJ, calling it a “stepping stone” for recreational use
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Tennessee, one of several states where only CBD oil is legal, has seen its fair share of cannabis legislative action by GOP lawmakers, but medical and recreational marijuana hasn’t come close to legalization or decriminalization.
Still hemp remains a hot topic among Southern politicians. Rep. Sabi ‘Doc’ Kumar (R-Springfield) was the latest to share his stance on the issue.
“I’m against recreational marijuana because of its impact on society in terms of homelessness, increased crime, increased availability, especially for our youth and teens,” Kumar, who has a four-decade career as a surgeon, told Nashville News.
However, he is not opposed to medical cannabis use, although he believes it can become a gateway drug.
“Many states that was a stepping stone to recreational marijuana, and I’m definitely against recreational marijuana,” he said. “I think our General Assembly is quite against it because it puts another drug on the street.”
Interestingly, Kumar disagreed with data reported by the ACLU, which suggests black and brown people are almost four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white people.
“If you hadn’t committed the crime, you wouldn’t be in prison. So it can be really cultural that certain people are more inclined to commit this crime,” he said. “But if you’ve committed a crime, you’ve certainly gone to jail for it. You didn’t go to jail because of the color of your skin.”
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Fellow Republican agrees
Meanwhile, fellow Republican Kumar Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) takes a rather similar stance on the issue, questioning the benefits of marijuana being touted by medicinal cannabis users.
“People claim it helps with a lot of medical problems, and I’m not saying it doesn’t help with some things,” Hensley, also a doctor, told the news outlet. “I don’t think it helps all the things people say it does.”
RELATED: GOP Senator Keeps Pushing Legal Medical Marijuana in Tennessee: Will Second Time Be a Spell?
Still, he believes that the federal Schedule I designation of cannabis has paved the way for more research into the effects of marijuana on the human body.
“We just need to be able to change the plan and then do some studies and then see what we need to do after that,” Hensley said.
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Legalization Efforts in Tennessee
Meanwhile, earlier this year, a bill sponsored by two Republican lawmakers — Rep. Bryan Terry and Sen. Ferrell Haile — that would establish a medical cannabis program in the state was hearing before the House Criminal Justice Committee.
Republican Senator Janice Bowling, known for her cannabis policy reform efforts, is preparing for another push.
RELATED: GOP Lawmakers Urge Dems to Consider Environmental Impact of Cannabis Legislation
Their bill, SB2477/HB2458, would allow people with medical conditions to legally use medicinal cannabis. It will also regulate the cultivation, production, distribution, transportation, sale and possession of cannabis for medical use and research.
Meanwhile, Tennessee recently got its first bar and restaurant serving products containing hemp-derived THC. Located at 1246 3rd Avenue in the Germantown neighborhood, Buds & Brews offers a menu of “upscale bar food” paired with an array of “delicious cannabis-infused sauces.”
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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