Tennessee Legislature Passes Hemp Industry Restrictions – Ganjapreneur | Where to order Skittles Moonrock online

Lawmakers in the Tennessee Senate voted last Thursday to approve legislation banning the sale of hemp-derived intoxicating products, The Tennessean reports.

The bill, which passed the House earlier in the week, restricts the amount of total and potential THC in consumable hemp products, a move that’s expected to upend the state’s hemp consumables industry. Sponsored by state Sen. Richard Briggs (R), the bill was opposed by Democrats and some Republicans, but lawmakers ultimately approved the proposal, sending it to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his consideration.

Briggs called the hemp industry in Tennessee “essentially dealing with unregulated recreational marijuana,” saying “It’s the wild west out there.”

Republican state Sen. Kerry Roberts, however, argued that because the proposal restricts hemp derivatives even more than federal law, it could confuse and create legal troubles for hemp farmers and entrepreneurs.

“I’ve got farmers that have come to me and said ‘this is going to hurt us.’ We’ve got retailers that have come to us and said ‘this is going to hurt us.’ Everybody keeps coming back to the same thing: if they would just make it so that it’s defined with what the federal code says, then they can live with it.” — Roberts, via The Tennessean

It’s not clear whether the governor will sign the proposal into law. Gov. Lee, however, has never vetoed a bill, according to the report.

Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe

Ganjapreneur is made possible by our partners:

Featured Business Profiles

Create a profile View all categories