The governor of Tennessee has signed a bill to expand the state’s limited CBD program and create a commission to study broader medical marijuana legalization. Governor Bill Lee (R) signed off on the legislation weeks after lawmakers sent it to his desk. But while advocates will take whatever reform victories they can get in the conservative state, there’s frustration that the legislature was unable to deliver a more comprehensive medical cannabis expansion. The enacted bill will allow patients with qualifying conditions to possess CBD oil that contains no more than 0.9 percent THC, which is three times greater than the federal definition of hemp. The current program’s list of qualifying conditions will be expanded beyond intractable epilepsy to add Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, cancer, inflammatory bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease. People would have to keep proof of their condition and a recommendation from a physician. But in order to obtain the medicine, Tennesseans will have to go out of state or obtain it illegally, as there is currently no means to lawfully purchase cannabis within the state. In effect, the bill simply provides legal protections for certain patients under strict circumstances.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/31/2021 13:33:00