“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.”

The post Tennessee Lawmakers Unveil Cannabis Legalization Bill appeared first on High Times.

In the early morning hours of November 15th we lost our brother Jesse unexpectedly. Affectionately known as Woodie, or Jesse the Chef, he was a loving son and brother, a devoted boyfriend, successful entrepreneur, but maybe most importantly, a true friend to so, so many, his loss will be felt forever. He was only 29 years old.

It’s hard to summarize someone as complex as Jesse. While most people knew him for his incredible skills as a chef, or his larger than life internet personality, those who know him closely knew he was so much more than online banter and a great meal. Dude was a huge nerd too. Y’all know about the Pokémon tattoos, right? He’d dive down whatever weirdo rabbit hole with me, and somehow, he made even those cool. Dude has presence, and the confidence and humility to push his ideas to the next level, and to get us all to buy in.

Raised in Memphis – on the South side with his Mom but getting game from his dad on the North side, he was residing more recently in Los Angeles. Jesse was proof that you could take the kid out of the south, but that your home never really leaves you. But man, he loved where he was from. You could feel it in his energy as much as you could hear it in his voice. Anytime anyone from Memphis did anything we would hear about it. I can still hear him in my head saying ‘You know where he’s from, my boy?’ He played that ‘Memphis, memphis, memphis’ clip maybe 6,000 times. Sure he was doing what he needed to out West, but he celebrated where he was from every chance he got – and he made you want to go there too. I know I speak for all of his friends and followers when I say his stories from his trips back home made it sound better than Vegas. I’m heartbroken that he wasn’t here to see us congregate for him in his home town.

But in LA – LA’s not always the friendliest place, but somehow he made it his home. And in his presence it really felt like one for all of us transplants trying to make something of ourselves. He welcomed us in in a way I haven’t felt often in my life, let alone in the city. He cared. He supported. He uplifted whatever he loved, let alone his people. He’d raise hell for us…

And Maiya – their relationship was a model for us all. You don’t expect much to last in today’s world, but we were all sure they would. They were inseparable. They always matched. It was like you were watching a live action Rom Com – they we’re ALWAYS laughing.

And his parties – those were legendary. A who’s who of ballers from across the art, music and cannabis landscape would pull up to his house not just for a plate, but for the energy. To be around this magnet of cool. 

Truth be told, I just wanted to hang at his house any chance I got. Everyone I ever met there was the highest caliber of person, and I have so many more true, lifelong friends than I would have had I not known him. He’s the reason I started talking to Fidel, and Metro. He was like a cheat code for my coverage. But more than that, even those times where we would just watch whatever popped up on YouTube in his living room were somehow more special than your typical interaction with friends. There was a warmth there that him and Maiya fostered that I have only ever experienced in that house. You were going home every time you stopped by. That laugh. The commentary. The conspiracy theories. The incredible weed. Endless amounts of incredible weed. No one left sober or hungry, it was like an unspoken rule. It was a special combination of magic that hooked anyone fortunate enough to experience it. I know I speak for many of his friends when I say that I feel blessed I got to exist in his presence, and my heart breaks not only for our loss, but for all those that won’t get to experience it. So many people have reached out the last week to say they wished they got to know him, people who I’d told about him, and random strangers who watched him online, and honestly so do I. He was hard not to love.

But that was Jesse. He quantified the weird, and celebrated his love. He brought people together, and curated a life most could only lust after. We talked about hustling and how to make it – but the truth was, he had. Jesse was it. Yes he was an inspiration for so many that didn’t actually know him, but also for those truly close to him. He created his own wave and rode it with a confidence we don’t often see from even the greatest of showmen. He made Weed & Wagyu a lifestyle we all wanted to be a part of. Even some kid like me, who was fine just eating McDonald’s, was all of a sudden trying to play high end, and wearing Dior, because of Jesse. It was wild.

To his Parents, I hope you got to see how bright your son was shining. I know the internet is one thing, but believe me when I tell you that love was real. Dude was good EVERYWHERE. People would stop him in public for pictures, or just to tell him they loved his posts. And he would talk about you all the time, I remember how excited he was when his Dad was coming out. He wanted to show you off. He was so proud to be your son.

And to Maiya, girl he loved you more than anything. It is so clear that you two were soulmates – you were the dream for those of us who haven’t found our person. You gave us faith. I know nothing will ever replace that massive hole in your chest, but know this army Jesse built around himself is here for you forever, and his memory will live on through us all.

Selfishly, I am devastated. I never expected to lose my friend – we had so much left to do. He had so much still to share. We talked about doing an art show together, and I let my anxiety hold it back. I didn’t think I mattered, he was the guy. But he wanted to do it with me, and I never pushed it through. And I was supposed to see him the weekend before he passed. But I was tired, so I said ‘next time’. I thought there would be one. A next time… You always think you’re going to have more time. But let me tell you, you don’t always. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, sometimes it’s just over. And I know I speak for many of us when I say it breaks my heart that I’ll never get to see my friend again. Or call him. Or text him. Or get roasted in my DMs when I post something stupid. Or something that he thinks is Lemon Cherry Gelato. I hope he knows how much we loved him.

I will hold onto the last conversations we had. To the last night we saw each other, at the Montalban in Hollywood, seeing ourselves on the big screen for Fidel’s premiere. That was some bucket list shit, but it wasn’t supposed to be the last. I know I barely scratched the surface of what our friend had to share, but I feel blessed for the time I had. I will carry it with me. I will carry him with me, as I know the rest of us will as well.

Now, I don’t know what it is yet, but I know we have to do something down here [in Memphis], for Jesse and Memphis – a real celebration, not a mourning party, because it’s what he would have wanted. Putting on for Memphis was quintessential Jesse. 

And I know we need to support Maiya however we can, because she is what he cared about most. She was his world, as much as he was hers. 

And I think we all need to start cooking more, because it’s what he loved doing, and it will bring us closer to him – especially those of us who are terrible at it, if only so that we’ll hear that deep little chuckle over our shoulder from the master who we all know could make it way better than we were. I know it would have made him laugh to see us try. But most importantly because we all need to keep Jesse’s vision, Weed & Wagyu alive – however that works for you, I won’t judge if it’s American Beef. 

And finally, we’ve got to make sure we tell everyone we love that we love them as often as possible. If there was one thing Jesse was great at it was giving flowers. You never know when it’s going to be the last time. 

In Jesse’s honor, no more ‘next time’s.

I love you man, I’ll see you soon. Weed & Wagyu forever.

The post In Memory of Jesse the Chef appeared first on High Times.

Buds & Brews is the state’s first brick-and-mortar THC-friendly bar and restaurant located at 1246 3rd Avenue in Nashville. “Buds and Brews features a menu of upscale bar fare paired with our own line of delicious cannabis-infused sauces,” the website reads.

In other words, the restaurant and bar will serve all-American type dishes, but also provide over 25 THC-infused condiments for common dressings like ketchup, honey mustard, ranch dressing, steak sauce, but infused with hemp-derived THC in 1-5 mg servings.

The restaurant will also feature recently released Cannabis-Infused Beverage Coolers and sauces that contain hemp-derived THC. WKRN reports that you can choose things like “Smokey Margarita” or “Bloody Maryjane.”

While cannabis will be at the bar to consume, the products are divided into individual pouches and jars.

The coolers come in pouches in the following flavors: GrapeApe, LemonHaze, and Sweet Tea OG Kush. The sauces, on the other hand, are made with locally grown and extracted hemp-derived THC. Each sauce contains 5 mg of THC in each jar.

Restaurant patrons can choose from 28 sauces with locally grown and extracted hemp-derived THC. The culinary sauce line includes ingredients such as olive oil or the company’s own specialty barbeque sauce.

Mike Solomon is part owner of Buds & Brews, along with part owner Dalton Crow, and discussed what patrons can expect with local media.

“You can get chicken tenders and then you can order some THC ranch,” Solomon told WKRN. “What is infused is the condiments. We have the 25 most common used condiments from ketchup, honey mustard, ranch dressing, steak sauce.”

In addition, all products are made in Tennessee by Craft Cannabis products.

“Everything is 1 to 5 milligrams a serving, which is very small so you can try a bunch of things,” Solomon said. “A rookie, a novice or an experienced cannabis person can have a fun time here portion controlled micro-dosing.”

“I’m excited to make my footprint and teamed up with some great guys to do it,” said Dalton Crow. “We want to appeal to everyone. We want everyone to try and come give us a shot and try us out.”

For now in Tennessee, only hemp-derived THC can be served at establishments like Buds & Brews. An adult-use bill in the state recently failed to gain ground. The bill, called the “Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act,” is effectively dead after its sponsor, state House Representative Bob Freeman, pulled the legislation from the floor.

The Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act would have authorized the possession of cannabis and concentrates for adults who are 21 years of age or older and “transfer of marijuana or marijuana concentrate between adults, in permitted amounts, without remuneration,” and the “cultivation of up to 12 marijuana plants for adults.”

It also would have opened up medical cannabis options for minors under the age of 18 by authorizing “a parent, guardian, or conservator to administer a marijuana product, excluding any combustible product, to a minor, over whom the parent, guardian, or conservator has legal authority.”

Until then, fun establishments like Buds & Brews have figured out how to operate within the boundaries of the law.

Buds & Brews will hold an official grand opening on August 20.

The post First THC-Friendly Bar and Restaurant Opens in Tennessee appeared first on High Times.

Local television station WKRN reports that the bill, known as the “Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act,” is “effectively dead” after its sponsor, Democratic state House Rep. Bob Freeman pulled the measure from the floor.

Freeman’s legislation would have resulted in significant changes in how the Volunteer State handles both recreational and medicinal cannabis, both of which are illegal in Tennessee.

It makes Tennessee stand out in an era of nationwide legalization, when one state after another has ended prohibition.

Freeman noted that many of Tennessee’s neighbors have either legalized cannabis in some form or are looking to do so.

“There is a very real possibility that, by the time we come back next year, we will be the only state that touches Tennessee that has not done some sort of legalization,” Freeman said, as quoted by WKRN.

The bill would have authorized the “the possession and transport of marijuana or marijuana concentrate, in permitted amounts, for adults who are at least 21 years of age,” the “transfer of marijuana or marijuana concentrate between adults, in permitted amounts, without remuneration,” and the “cultivation of up to 12 marijuana plants for adults.”

It also would have opened up medical cannabis treatment to minors by authorizing “a parent, guardian, or conservator to administer a marijuana product, excluding any combustible product, to a minor, over whom the parent, guardian, or conservator has legal authority.”

Under the legislation, the state Department of Health would have provided a form on its website “that, upon execution by a parent, guardian, or conservator, after consultation with a healthcare practitioner, creates a rebuttable presumption that the minor has a medical condition for which the use of marijuana is treatment for any such condition.”

But Freeman’s bill always had an uphill climb in Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature. The state’s GOP governor, Bill Lee, has said that he is against legalizing pot.

As Freeman sees it, Tennessee is now at risk of being left in the dust, with other southern states moving to legalize medical cannabis. Mississippi legalized the treatment in February, and Alabama did the same last year.

Under Freeman’s bill, the sale of cannabis would have been subject to state and local sales and use tax, “as well as an additional 15% marijuana tax.”

It also would have established that “local governments can impose a local sales tax on such sales, not to exceed 5% of the price of the products sold, of which proceeds shall be distributed identical to the existing local sales and use tax.”

“It highlights the fact that we are continuing to turn our back to the potential revenue for taxing this legally — people are already using it or else they wouldn’t be getting picked up and we’re criminalizing this putting people in jail for what is legal in other states,” Freeman said, as quoted by the station.

Freeman believes that most Tennessee voters are with him on the issue, a theory that could be tested in November’s general election.

In January, a pair of state lawmakers introduced a bill that would direct county election officials to conduct a public opinion poll on cannabis policy on this year’s ballot.

The legislation would place three non-binding questions on the general election ballot: Should the state of Tennessee legalize medical cannabis?; Should the state decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of cannabis?; and Should the state legalize and regulate the commercial sales of recreational cannabis?

“We’ve been wrestling around with this for years and years now,” one of the bill’s sponsors, state House Rep. Bruce Griffey, said at the time. “A bunch of jurisdictions have taken a step to legalize it. There’s certainly some valid arguments, is marijuana any worse than alcohol in certain situations?”

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The legislation, known as the “Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act,” would authorize “the possession and transport of marijuana or marijuana concentrate, in permitted amounts, for adults who are at least 21 years of age (adults).”

The bill would also create a process for “a parent, guardian, or conservator to administer a marijuana product, excluding any combustible product, to a minor, over whom the parent, guardian, or conservator has legal authority.”

Under the terms of the bill, the state’s Department of Health would be required to provide an online form “that, upon execution by a parent, guardian, or conservator, after consultation with a healthcare practitioner, creates a rebuttable presumption that the minor has a medical condition for which the use of marijuana is treatment for any such condition.”

“My constituents are regularly asking why are we dragging our feet on this,” said state House Rep. Bob Freeman, a Democrat from Nashville who is one of the bill’s sponsors, as quoted by local news outlet WSMV.

If it were to become law, the bill would permit adults aged 21 and older to cultivate as many as 12 cannabis plants for personal use. According to local television station WZTV, “adults would be allowed to possess and carry under 60 grams of marijuana or 15 grams of marijuana concentrate,” and would be “allowed to transfer to one another no more than the same amount.”

It would also establish a framework for the state to set up a regulated adult-use cannabis market. According to the bill’s summary, pot sales would be “subject to the state and local sales and use tax, as well as an additional 15% marijuana tax,” while also enabling local governments to “impose a local sales tax on such sales, not to exceed 5% of the price of the products sold, of which proceeds shall be distributed identical to the existing local sales and use tax.”

The proceeds of the 15% sales tax would be allocated as follows: 50% to the state Department of Agriculture, which will implement and administer the adult-use program; 20% to the state Department of Safety, which would go toward “training and education of law enforcement agencies and officers with regard to state cannabis-related laws … the support of law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty … and the support of families of law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty”; 20% would go toward the State Employee Legacy Pension Stabilization Reserve Trust; five percent toward the state Department of Education “for education programs for elementary and secondary students regarding age restrictions for marijuana use and potential health and legal risks for improper or underage use of marijuana”; and another five percent to the state Department of Revenue “for administrative costs incurred pursuant to this Act, including collection and enforcement costs.”

“Let’s talk about the financial benefits this could have for our state. What could we fund differently? What could we fund better? We got the fiscal note back, and it’s hundreds of millions of dollars every year. States that have passed this before its billions of dollars in additional state revenue,” Freeman said, as quoted by WSMV.

It isn’t the only cannabis-related bill to be taken up by the Tennessee legislature this year.

In January, a pair of lawmakers in the state introduced legislation that would direct counties in Tennessee to essentially conduct a public opinion poll on this year’s general election ballot that would gauge voters’ support for both recreational and medical cannabis.

The post Tennessee Lawmakers Consider Cannabis Legalization Bill appeared first on High Times.

“We want to be clear about TVA’s position on the implications to our energy service to Mississippi customers: TVA has an obligation to serve our customers with safe, reliable, low-cost energy and we will continue to do so,” the utility wrote in a statement. “There will be no interruption in service because of this newly signed law.”

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally-owned electric utility company that provides power to millions of customers in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding southern states. In a statement obtained by reporters, the TVA noted that despite cannabis reform at the state level, marijuana is still a federally illegal substance. The statement was released on February 2, the same day that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state. The TVA provides power to local utilities that deliver electricity to customers in three dozen counties in northeastern Mississippi.

“While some states have enacted (or may soon enact) laws permitting the cultivation and distribution of marijuana for either medicinal or recreational purposes, marijuana, regardless of its intended use, remains a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970,” the TVA wrote in its statement. “Federal resources and funds may not be purposely used to facilitate activity that potentially violates federal law. “Given this important point, TVA will not direct any federal resources or funds to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana.” 

The statement also warned that if a TVA employee learns that a local utility is supplying electricity to a customer that “is engaged in activity that may violate federal law governing marijuana, the employee will report the activity to their management, and TVA management will make a determination regarding our reporting obligations to agencies that may have proper jurisdiction to enforce the federal Controlled Substances Act.”

Federal and State Officials Blast TVA Warning

The TVA’s statement drew a swift rebuke from two U.S. congressmen and members of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee. In a statement on Thursday, the representatives noted that the TVA is required by federal law to provide power to all customers.

“The actions outlined in the February 2 memo, issued on the same day as Mississippi’s enactment of a medical marijuana program, disregard the democratic will of the people of Mississippi,” Cohen and Blumenauer wrote. “Any suggestion of requiring TVA employees to report end-use customers suspected of engaging in activity involving marijuana is an affront to the people who voted in support of a medical cannabis program, to say nothing of the state legislature and governor, who overwhelmingly enacted a medical cannabis program.”

In a separate statement, Cohen said that if the TVA follows through on its warning, the agency “would also be sadly out of step with the American people, even after polls and elections are showing again and again how voters react when given the choice to weigh in on access to cannabis.”

State officials in Mississippi also pushed back on the TVA’s warning to deny power service to cannabis operations. Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley reiterated the TVA’s responsibility to provide power to all customers and noted that the agency does not have authority over local power companies.

“TVA’s statement has already caused some medical marijuana facilities to look at other areas of the state and therefore possibly denying North Mississippians the benefits of the newly passed medical marijuana program,” Presley said in a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday. “It is a long-held principle in state law that electric utilities have an obligation to serve customers without discrimination.”

“A licensed medical marijuana facility under Mississippi law is no different. It is my position that any licensed medical marijuana facility should be served with electricity upon application and request,” Presley added. “Once power is delivered by the TVA to a local utility, TVA’s oversight ends and controlling state law and Public Service Commission statutes ensure that these facilities should be served with electricity like any other licensed business.”

Although the TVA acknowledged it is obligated to provide electricity to all customers in its service area, the utility noted in last week’s statement that it was continuing to seek the advice of federal officials.

“The broader issue is a complex one and represents a conflict between state and federal law. We are looking to the appropriate federal agencies for further clarification and have requested additional guidance,” the TVA said. “Our service to our customers remains unchanged and we will continue to carry out our mission.”

The post TVA Says It Will Power Marijuana Operations After All appeared first on High Times.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally-owned electric utility company that provides power to millions of business and residential customers in Tennessee and parts of six other southern states, including northeast Mississippi. In a statement obtained by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the TVA wrote that despite cannabis reform at the state level, marijuana is still a federally illegal substance.

“While some states have enacted (or may soon enact) laws permitting the cultivation and distribution of marijuana for either medicinal or recreational purposes, marijuana, regardless of its intended use, remains a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970,” the TVA wrote in its statement. “Federal resources and funds may not be purposely used to facilitate activity that potentially violates federal law.”

“Given this important point, TVA will not direct any federal resources or funds to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana,” the agency added.

The TVA statement went on to warn that if a TVA employee learns that a local power company is supplying electricity to a customer that “is engaged in activity that may violate federal law governing marijuana, the employee will report the activity to their management, and TVA management will make a determination regarding our reporting obligations to agencies that may have proper jurisdiction to enforce the federal Controlled Substances Act.”

Several local electric utilities in northeastern Mississippi including Tupelo Power & Light, Oxford Utilities, North East Mississippi Electric Power Association and the Tombigbee Electric Power Association are supplied with electricity by the TVA. But a spokesperson for the energy wholesaler did not clarify if the local power companies would be barred from supplying electricity to customers operating cannabis production facilities.

“I would refer you back to the language in the statement,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks told the Daily Journal.

The TVA said that it has reached out to federal authorities including the Department of Justice to ensure that its action is consistent with federal requirements. The electricity provider also said that it welcomed guidance from Congress “that could further inform TVA’s position.”

Congressmen Criticize TVA Warning

After news of the TVA warning broke this week, two Democratic U.S. congressmen, Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Tennessee’s Steve Cohen, wrote a letter to the agency criticizing its announcement. The representatives, both members of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, wrote that the TVA has an obligation under federal law to provide electricity to all customers in its service area. They also noted that the warning from the electric utility coincided with last week’s signing of a medical cannabis legalization bill by Mississippi Governor Reeves.

“The actions outlined in the February 2 memo, issued on the same day as Mississippi’s enactment of a medical marijuana program, disregard the democratic will of the people of Mississippi,” they wrote. “Any suggestion of requiring TVA employees to report end-use customers suspected of engaging in activity involving marijuana is an affront to the people who voted in support of a medical cannabis program, to say nothing of the state legislature and governor, who overwhelmingly enacted a medical cannabis program. “

“Mississippi joined 36 other states in legalizing cannabis for medicinal use, a big step forward for the health and well-being of Mississippians,” Cohen said in a statement. “But TVA is blatantly ignoring that development by threatening to turn in legal cannabis businesses in Mississippi to federal agents. These policies are outdated, unpopular, and scientifically baseless.”

In their letter, Blumenauer and Cohen urged the TVA to rescind the statement issued last week and noted that the Department of Justice is barred by Congress from impeding, state-legal medical cannabis activities. They also called for the agency “to abide by congressional intent in refraining from impeding states in the implementation of medical cannabis programs.”

Cohen said that if the TVA follows through on its warning, the agency “would also be sadly out of step with the American people, even after polls and elections are showing again and again how voters react when given the choice to weigh in on access to cannabis.”

“From ballot measures to state legislatures, states are continuing to create state legal markets, while the federal government has failed to modernize its policies,” he said. “This is a time to provide clarity to TVA and is a golden opportunity to right-size federal cannabis policy.”

The post Tennessee Valley Authority Warns It Won’t Power Cannabis Operations appeared first on High Times.

Attempts to legalize medical cannabis in Tennessee have seen some success in legislative committees only for proposed legislation fail to come to a vote by the full House of Representatives. But some prosecutors have adopted a more lenient stance to cannabis, including Davidson County District Attorney General Glenn Funk, who has instituted a policy to decline to file charges in possession cases involving a half-ounce of cannabis or less. Griffey believes that it is time to give statewide marijuana legalization another look.

“We’ve been wrestling around with this for years and years now,” Griffey told the Tennessee Lookout. “A bunch of jurisdictions have taken a step to legalize it. There’s certainly some valid arguments, is marijuana any worse than alcohol in certain situations?” 

The legislation from Griffey and Kyle, Senate Bill 1973/House Bill 1634, was introduced in the state Senate on Thursday. Under the bill, county election commissions would be directed to include three non-binding questions on this year’s general election ballot. The bill also requires the Tennessee secretary of state to compile the results from the county elections, characterized as a “public policy opinion poll” in the summary of the legislation, and forward them to the members of the state legislature.

Vote Would Not Legalize Pot Outright

The vote, however, would not legalize cannabis by itself. Under the Tennessee state Constitution, ballot measures are not binding and do not by themselves create new legislation. But they can serve as a way to gauge the views of voters on controversial issues, potentially giving lawmakers guidance to craft new laws.

The bill from Kyle and Griffey would pose the following three questions to Tennessee voters on the November 2022 general election ballot:

1. Should the state of Tennessee legalize medical marijuana?
2. Should the state decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana?
3. Should the state legalize and regulate the commercial sales of recreational marijuana?

Kyle, who has supported efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Tennessee, said that she welcomes the chance to measure the “community support” for the ballot questions.

“I would vote yes on every one of these,” she said.

Kyle has said that her support for cannabis reform stems from the belief that people should be able to use medical cannabis, adding that many of the constituents of her district in Memphis have sickle cell disease. The Democratic senator also noted that convictions for minor cannabis offenses can have long lasting consequences, including difficulties obtaining employment and educational or social benefits. 

“Let’s remove that barrier,” Kyle said. “We’re talking about less than an ounce. That’s pretty much personal use.”

Griffey was unable to convince a Republican senator to sponsor the legislation in the upper house of the Tennessee General Assembly, leading to the bipartisan pairing with Kyle. Griffey agrees that lawmakers should get input from the electorate to guide legalization.

“To me there’s no downside to it, very minimal cost,” he said Wednesday. “Let the Tennessee voters at least express their opinion in an unbiased manner so all of us as legislators have a sense of what the voters would like us to do.” 

Public opinion polls have shown that 70 percent to 80 percent of Tennessee voters support decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis, but Kyle is not sure if lawmakers agree.

“On those questions, I think you’ll get a high yes,” she said. “But I don’t know if the Legislature’s ready.”

The post Tennessee Lawmakers want Statewide Marijuana Legalization Vote appeared first on High Times.

Speaking at a hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Steve Cohen mocked the reasoning offered up for Richardson’s one-month suspension.

“Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug unless you’re entered in the Coney Island hot dog eating contest on the Fourth of July,” said Congressman Cohen, a Democrat who represents Tennessee’s ninth district. “To take her right to appear, her dream, away from her, is absurd.”

Richardson, 21, is set to miss this summer’s Olympics after a positive marijuana test rendered her results at the U.S. track and field Olympic trials invalid. She won the 100-meter dash at the trials last month in Oregon and was a favorite to win gold in Tokyo. 

Marijuana is banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances, and both the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee adhere to the global body’s code. 

The USADA explains that marijuana is banned because it could pose a health and safety risk to athletes and that cannabis can be performance-enhancing for some.

That latter explanation has been roundly mocked, including by Congressman Cohen on Wednesday. The congressman used his time at the hearing, which dealt with a reform effort to end sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine, to excoriate the War on Drugs and call on fellow members of Congress to deschedule and decriminalize pot. 

Congressman Cohen Goes Off on Failed War on Drugs

“Congress should see that we don’t have these problems in the future. We deschedule marijuana. We leave it up to the states. If [Richardson had] gotten rip-roaring drunk on margaritas, Red Bull or whatever else you drink out there these days, lagers, she’d have been fine because it wouldn’t have shown up in her system, and if it had shown up in her system––if she’d have been .02 alcohol––she still would have been allowed to run,” Congressman Cohen said.

“But for marijuana, that could have been 20 days ago, and just a puff or two, she’s gone. So let’s get real. The War on Drugs is a total failure. Nancy Reagan was wrong. Everybody who followed her and the others who said, ‘Just say no,’ were wrong because that wasn’t sufficient. Let’s pass this bill, and let’s decriminalize marijuana, and let’s get our people to where they are not being afflicted by the cultural lag of the United States Congress,” he added

After the positive test result was made public, Richardson appeared on the Today show to apologize to fans and express regret for the decision. 

“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” Richardson said. “I know what I did and what I’m not supposed to do. I know what I’m not allowed to do, and I still made that decision. Not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case but being in that position of my life and finding out something like that—something that I would say has impacted my life positively and negatively in my life when it comes to dealing with the relationship with my mother—that definitely was a heavy topic on me.”

At a time when a growing number of states have legalized recreational marijuana use, Richardson’s suspension feels like a relic of a previous era. And legalization looks poised to go federal.

In May, Congressman Cohen’s Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act of 2021, which would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis. And last week, Democrats in the Senate introduced their own marijuana reform legislation.

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A lawmaker introduced this bill to the 2022 ballot. Representative Bruce Griffey, a Republican from District 75, is behind the bill, known as House Bill 1634. 

The bill will require county election commissions to each include three questions related to legalizing cannabis. The questions must be-non-binding and will appear on the November 2022 ballot. 

Then, the secretary of state will be required to compile the results of a public policy opinion poll conducted about cannabis and reveal the results to members of the general assembly. 

Tennessee and Medical Cannabis 

This is not the first major move the state has made this summer relating to cannabis. Tennessee’s medical cannabis bill recently passed its first Senate committee, but unfortunately failed in the second one. However, there was one small victory, as the legislature approved a study commission and expanded the local CBD law. 

Tennessee still does not have legal, medical cannabis, and is only one of 14 states that still does not have a medical system in place. Senate Bill 854 was sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling and would have legalized medical cannabis for certain patients and developed a Medical Cannabis Commission that would have regulated the production and sale of cannabis. While the Senate Government Operations Committee approved the bill back in March, it was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee later that month.

However, while the bill did not pass, Senate Bill 118, a bill that creates a study commission to look further into medical cannabis, is required to report to the legislature about legal cannabis by the end of the year. This bill also expands CBD in the state, allowing more medical conditions to be eligible for stronger CBD oil for treating pain and illness. 

Tennessee is also in the minority of states that still penalize simple possession of cannabis with jail time. Only 18 percent of states still do that, and in Tennessee, it’s unfortunately a reality that half an ounce of cannabis or less can result in almost a year in prison. 

Tennessee Backs Legal Cannabis

Currently, 81 percent of voters in the state support allowing patients and doctors to make decisions about medical cannabis, so it seems that there will be progress made on the medical front, and it’s likely that at least a significant portion of voters will back legal cannabis if it is put on the 2022 ballot. 

Additionally, Tennessee voters seem to support cannabis across the board, but the state doesn’t have a voter initiative process. Since only elected officials can change state law, the ballot initiative for 2022 won’t directly make legalization happen, but it is a huge step forward for the conservative state. 

While cannabis does not have a legal program currently in Tennessee for medical or recreational product, there is an exception allowing for high-CBD, low-THC cannabis oil if patients suffer from seizures. Both possession and cultivation are illegal, and possession of any amount is a misdemeanor punishable with prison time. Cultivation of 10 plants or less is a felony and can lead to six years in prison, more if the person in question was growing more plants.

Finally, in 2016, the law was changed somewhat so that someone facing a third cannabis conviction no longer automatically leads to a felony charge and up to six years in prison. Now, that has been reduced to a misdemeanor so that folks who use cannabis won’t have a felony on their permanent records. 

Tennessee Cannabis Laws as they Stand

Additionally, the state is blocking efforts to further decriminalization. Memphis and Nashville have both passed ordinances that allow officers to charge folks with a civil infraction instead for small possession offenses. But then the governor at the time, Bill Haslam, signed a bill that specialties state law preempts local government when it comes to regulation of substances. 

For the sake of advocates in Tennessee, we hope change is on the horizon. 

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