Lawmakers in Tennessee have passed a controversial bill that would ban the sale of hemp-derived intoxicating products, potentially shaking up the state’s thriving hemp industry. The bill, which had already cleared the House earlier in the week, passed in the Senate and now awaits action from Governor Bill Lee.
According to The Tennessean, the legislation would limit the amount of total and potential THC allowed in consumable hemp products. Proponents say the bill is necessary to regulate what they describe as an unmonitored and potentially unsafe market, while critics argue that it imposes restrictions stricter than federal law and could seriously harm local farmers and businesses.
State Sen. Richard Briggs (R), who sponsored the bill, described the industry as “essentially dealing with unregulated recreational marijuana,” calling the current landscape “the wild west.”
Not all lawmakers agreed. Sen. Kerry Roberts (R) voiced strong concerns about the bill’s impact on Tennessee’s agricultural and retail communities.
“I’ve got farmers that have come to me and said ‘this is going to hurt us,’” Roberts said. “We’ve got retailers that have come to us and said ‘this is going to hurt us.’”
He emphasized the need for clarity and consistency with federal standards:
“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.”
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Bill Lee. While it’s unclear if he will sign it, The Tennessean reports that Lee has never vetoed a bill during his tenure.
This development marks a pivotal moment for Tennessee’s hemp industry, which may now face sweeping regulatory changes.
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