Representative Jason Powell, D, introduced House Joint Resolution 0742 (HJR 742) at the end of January. HJR 742 looks to create a medical cannabis program for qualifying patients. “Tennesseans should have access to a comprehensive medical cannabis program in our state. No Tennessean suffering from an approved medical condition should have to drive hours out of state to purchase medical cannabis,” Representative Powell explained.
“Furthermore, Tennesseans should be able to legally grow and sell medical cannabis here in Tennessee,” he continued. “I firmly believe an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution is the best path for legalizing medical cannabis in Tennessee. Voters should have the opportunity to decide this issue and I simply ask my legislative colleagues to give Tennesseans the choice to vote on a medical cannabis program.”
Compared to other states, Tennessee is in the minority regarding states with legal medical cannabis programs. Most recently, Mississippi legalized medical cannabis for qualifying patients. This led Mississippi to becoming the 38th state, including Washington, D.C., that legalized medical cannabis.
HJR 742 Details
Under HJR 742, a limited number of conditions qualify for medical cannabis, including but not limited to cancer, epilepsy, and MS. The program itself would oversee the in-state cultivation, process, and sales of medical cannabis. A four percent sales tax would apply to the retail sale of medical cannabis. A portion of the tax revenue would go to assisting military veterans’ health care.
At this time, there is no set date for the House Health Committee to discuss HJR 742. Further details of the bill, like the full text, have not been made available yet.
Previous Bills
In 2018, Representative Powell supported HJR 730, another bill which would legalize medical cannabis and products in respective jurisdictions. Although he supported the bill, he vocally criticized the legislature for not going far enough to help Tennessee citizens in need. Ultimately, HJR 730 failed to make it out of the House.
In 2021, Tennessee lawmakers again introduced a medical cannabis bill. Again, the bill failed to pass. “Generally speaking, I’ve been opposed to medical cannabis, and I still am,” Governor Bill Lee explained while lawmakers were discussing medical cannabis legalization.
However, lawmakers and Governor Lee did pass an expansion to the state’s limited CBD program, increasing the THC limit to 0.9 percent, which is three times greater than the federal definition of hemp at 0.3 percent. More qualifying conditions were added to the limited CBD program, including Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, IBS, MS, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell anemia.
Patients need to keep proof of their diagnosis and a recommendation from their doctor for medical CBD oil on them to possess their medication. However, patients do need to travel out of state to purchase CBD products. This bill simply provides protection to those who consume CBD oil for medicinal purposes.
Future
Last year’s bill did expand some uses of cannabis and CBD. However, it’s nowhere near a comprehensive medical cannabis program according to activists. There is hope HJR 742 will receive discussion and potentially make it to the House floor for debate. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.
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