Second time a spell? Tennessee is bringing a new medical marijuana law into the house

The Tennessee cannabis enthusiasts and users have an early gift in 2021, and we’re here for it !! The state has passed a law on marijuana legislation to be introduced in 2022, and that is an extremely commendable move for the future of cannabis in the state.

A Tennessee legislature ushered in the 2022 vote that will set the pace for a more solid cannabis industry in the state. Rep. Bruce Griffey, a Republican from District 75, sponsors what is now called the House Bill 1634.

The bill requires county electoral commissions that include three issues related to cannabis. The questions are expected to be non-binding and will also appear on the voting slip in November 2022.

The Foreign Minister will then collate the results of the public opinion poll on cannabis. The results are communicated to the members of the general assembly of the country.

The State of Tennessee and Its Long Journey on the Medical Cannabis Bill

The move to legalize cannabis in 2022 is not the first time such a significant step has been taken. Tennessee’s journey with Medical Cannabis Act began some time ago when it was first put on the Senate committee, but failed on the second attempt. There was a small win when the legislature approved the study commission and expanded their local cannabis law.

Tennessee currently has no legal medical marijuana. It is also only one of 14 states without a medical system. Senate Act 854, sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling, would have been an opportunity to legalize medical cannabis for some patients.

The bill also aimed to develop a medical cannabis commission to help regulate the production and sale of marijuana. The bill was approved by the Senate government’s Works Committee in March but banned later that month.

Although the bill was not passed, Senate Bill 118, which aims to set up a study commission to study medical cannabis, will report to the legislature on legal cannabis by the end of the year. This bill will expand access to CBD in the state and allow more medical issues to be listed so that people can use CBD oil to treat their illnesses and pain.

Tennessee is a minority state that still punishes its residents with jail terms for possession of marijuana. About 18% of US states still penalize their residents for using marijuana, and in Tennessee this is still a reality. It is so bad that a person can be legalized for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana or less. The sentence could be up to almost a year in prison.

Tennessee now supports legal marijuana.

Currently, 81% of Tennessee voters support the notion that patients and doctors should make decisions about medical marijuana. This means that there will be great advances in the medical field and large numbers of voters will be able to support the legalization of cannabis “if” it is put on the 2022 ballot.

Tennessee voters also seem to support cannabis with all of the proposed ideas, but the state lacks a voter initiative process. Only elected officials can change its laws in the state, which means the 2022 election idea will not result in legalization. Instead, it will be a significant step forward for such a conservative state.

Some exceptions to the current Tennessee rule

Cannabis doesn’t have a specific legal program in Tennessee, especially for medical and recreational products. There are some exceptions to this law as oils high in CBD and THC are allowed for patients. It must be patients who have seizures.

For a conservative state, such an exception would be seen as a positive social impact, but cannabis experts still believe there is more to be done. Finally, the cultivation and possession of cannabis is illegal, with the penalty tending towards jail time.

Also in Tennessee, growing 10 cannabis plants or less is considered a crime, resulting in a six-year prison sentence. The prison term could be longer if the person were caught growing more crops.

In 2016, Tennessee law was amended so that anyone faced with a third marijuana conviction can no longer be convicted of a crime or up to six years in prison. This penalty has been reduced and given a misdemeanor label so that people who use marijuana are not given a crime label on their records (i.e. permanent records).

The struggle with a conservative society

Understandably, Tennessee has to take things slow as they rise above conservatism strongholds. Some states like Tennessee, which are planning to legalize cannabis by 2022, are also grappling with the handicaps of their residents who are still negatively labeling marijuana.

So it is a good move to have huge projections into the future; it prepares residents for the changes. Like many other states, Tennessee is now seeing tremendous potential in the cannabis market and is poised to tap into it.

The question was always: when? Well, we have a date with the state of Tennessee: 2022, and now the countdown begins! Will Tennessee meet the moment in 2022? That is still to be seen.

Bottom line

It’s safe to say that for cannabis enthusiasts in the state of Tennessee, “Christmas 2020 will come early” as the state takes a bolder approach to legalizing cannabis. But the state is still blocking decriminalization efforts.

The states of Nashville and Memphis have ordinances that allow officials to indict individuals with civil offenses for possession of small amounts of cannabis. However, the then governor, Bill Haslam, signed the law explicitly claiming that state laws prevent the local government from dealing with the regulation of substances.

Yes, we are all looking forward to 2022, but there is still so much to be done to prepare Tennessee for this phase and we hope that there will be reasonable changes from then on as this will guarantee a legalized cannabis system.

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