Frederick Cawthon smells a hemp plant at Holtkamp Greenhouses
Eric England
Alongside redistricting, one of the hottest topics in the Tennessee legislature right now is cannabis. In fact, there has been a record number of cannabis-related legislation filed this year, according to industry lobbyists.
The legislation runs the full spectrum. For instance, Rep. Darren Jernigan (D-Old Hickory) has proposed
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmqFE :EVD ?@E ;FDE DFA6C>:?@C:EJ s6>@4C2ED] $@>6 #6AF3=:42?D 2C6 AFD9:?8 AC@A@D2=D @7 E96:C @H?[ 2D E96J 92G6 :? C646?E J62CD E@ =:>:E65 67764E] #6A] r9C:D wFCE W#\w2==DX 7:=65 2 3:== E92E D66<D E@ “=68:E:>:K6” E96 42??23:D :?5FDECJ 3J E2I:?8 2?5 C68F=2E:?8 ADJ49@EC@A:4 96>A\56C:G65 42??23:?@:5D =:<6 s6=E2\g E92E 4@?E2:? >@C6 E92? _]` A6C46?E %wr W4FCC6?E 7656C2= C68F=2E:@?D =:>:E %wr E@ _]b A6C46?EX]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 3:== 7:=:?8 5625=:?6 =@@>:?8 E9:D H66<[ 96C6’D 2 3C62<5@H? @7 E96 E9C66 >@DE 6IA2?D:G6 A:646D @7 42??23:D =68:D=2E:@? AC@A@D65 E9FD 72Cik^Am
k9C ^m
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42A:E@=]E?]8@G^q:==D^``a^q:==^wy#_fca]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mw@FD6 y@:?E #6D@=FE:@? fcak^DEC@?8mk^2mk^Am
kAm%96 >@DE C646?E A:646 @7 42??23:D\C6=2E65 =68:D=2E:@? H2D 7:=65 |@?52J 3J #6A] y2D@? !@H6== Ws\}2D9G:==6X] !@H6==’D AC@A@D65 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?E H@F=5 =682=:K6 E96 D2=6 @7 >65:42= 42??23:D :? %6??6DD66] pD :E DE2?5D[ %6??6DD66’D >65:42= 42??23:D AC@8C2> 2==@HD A2E:6?ED H:E9 76H6C E92? 2 5@K6? BF2=:7J:?8 4@?5:E:@?D E@ A@DD6DD 42??23:D AC@5F4ED] xE 5@6D ?@E 2==@H E96 4F=E:G2E:@?[ D2=6 @C AFC492D6 @7 >65:42= 42??23:D :? E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm%6??6DD66 A2E:6?ED 92G6 E@ EC2G6= E@ 2?@E96C DE2E6 E@ @3E2:? >65:42= 42??23:D] |@C6@G6C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?4D=]@C8^C6D62C49^962=E9^DE2E6\>65:42=\>2C:;F2?2\=2HD]2DAIQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m>@DE DE2E6D H:E9 >65:42= AC@8C2>Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m — :?4=F5:?8 ?6:893@C:?8 p=232>2[ pC<2?D2D 2?5 |:DD@FC: — C6BF:C6 A2E:6?ED E@ 36 2 C6D:56?E @7 E96 DE2E6 E@ BF2=:7J 7@C 2 >65:42= =:46?D6 E92E H@F=5 2==@H E96> E@ AFC492D6 AC@5F4ED] x==:?@:D :D E96 DE2E6 =@42E65 H:E9:? E96 4=@D6DE AC@I:>:EJ E@ %6??6DD66 A2E:6?ED 2?5 :? H9:49 E@ AFC492D6 >65:42= 42??23:D =682==J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 4@>A=6E6=J =F5:4C@FD E92E H6 2C6 >2<:?8 D@>6 @7 %6??6DD66’D D:4<6DE 2?5 >@DE GF=?6C23=6 5C:G6 2E =62DE EH@ 9@FCD E@ 86E E96:C >65:42E:@?[” !@H6== D2:5]k^Am
kAm!@H6==’D AC@A@D65 2>6?5>6?E H@F=5 2=D@ 4C62E6 2 DE2E6H:56 C68:DECJ H:E9 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 E@ EC24< E96 ?F>36C @7 A2E:6?ED H9@ 2C6 2FE9@C:K65 E@ FD6 >65:42= 42??23:D 2?5 4C62E6 2 F?:7@C> =6EE6C @7 5:28?@D:D 7@C %6??6DD66 5@4E@CD]k^Am
kAm{2DE=J[ 9:D AC@A@D2= H@F=5 4C62E6 2 c\A6C46?E E2I @? E96 D2=6 @7 >65:42= 42??23:D] %96 C6G6?F6 86?6C2E65 7C@> E96 E2I H@F=5 8@ E@H2C5 962=E9 42C6 :?:E:2E:G6D 7@C G6E6C2?D] $@>6 >65:42= 42??23:D 25G@42E6D 2C6 ?@E A=62D65 H:E9 E96 AC@A@D65 E2I !@H6== :?4=F565 2?5 5@?’E 766= E92E E96C6 D9@F=5 36 2 E2I @? >65:4:?6]k^Am
kAm%9:D C6D@=FE:@? :D?’E !@H6==’D 7:CDE A2DD 2E >65:42= 42??23:D] x? a_`g[ 96 DF3>:EE65 2 C6D@=FE:@? E92E H@F=5 92G6 >256 E96 =682=:K2E:@? 2?5 C68F=2E:@? @7 >65:42= 42??23:D 2 DE2E6 :DDF6]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42A:E@=]E?]8@G^q:==D^``a^q:==^wq`heg]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mw@FD6 q:== `hegk^DEC@?8mk^2mk^Am
kAmuC66>2? 4@==23@C2E65 H:E9 E96 %6??6DD66 vC@H6CD r@2=:E:@? @? wq`heg[ 2=D@ 42==65 E96 uC66 p== r2??23:D :? %6??6DD66 Wupr%X p4E] %96 3:== H@F=5 =682=:K6 E96 4F=E:G2E:@?[ >2?F724EFC:?8[ EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 D2=6 @7 >2C:;F2?2 7@C 3@E9 >65:42= 2?5 C64C62E:@?2= FD6] xE H@F=5 C6DEC:4E E96 D2=6 2?5 FD6 @7 E96 AC@5F4ED E@ :?5:G:5F2=D a` 2?5 @=56C] !65:2EC:4 FD6 :D 2==@H65 F?56C E96 AC@A@D2= :7 2FE9@C:K65 3J 2 A9JD:4:2?]k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ E96 =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 C6BF:C6 2??F2= =:46?D6D 7@C 42??23:D C6E2:=6CD[ H9@=6D2=6CD 2?5 EC2?DA@CE6CD] %96 6I24E 4@DE @7 E96 =:46?D:?8 766 :D ?@E DE:AF=2E65 :? E96 3:==[ 3FE E96 3:== 8:G6D E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 E96 A@H6C E@ D6E E96 C2E6] w@H6G6C[ E96 3:== 5@6D 567:?6 2 `_\A6C46?E DE2E6H:56 6I4:D6 E2I @? C6E2:= D2=6D] xE 2=D@ 2==@HD 4@F?E:6D 2?5 =@42= >F?:4:A2=:E:6D E@ E24< @? 2? 255:E:@?2= D2=6D E2I — FA E@ d A6C46?E — @? E@A @7 E96 DE2E6 E2I]k^Am
kAmuC66>2?’D 3:== :D 6G6? >@C6 AC@8C6DD:G6 E92? E96 6I:DE:?8 7C2>6H@C< :? r@=@C25@] %96 upr% p4E H@F=5 2==@H 9@FD69@=5D E@ 8C@H FA E@ `a 42??23:D A=2?ED H:E9@FE 2 =:46?D6] r@=@C25@ 2==@HD FA E@ D:I A=2?ED @?=J :? 2 C6D:56?46] ~? 2G6C286[ 2 D:?8=6 9@>68C@H? A=2?E 4@F=5 J:6=5 23@FE 2 A@F?5 @7 >2C:;F2?2 6G6CJ E9C66 >@?E9D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ s6C6< q6D6?:FD[ E96 @H?6C @7 {23r2??2[ 2? t2DE }2D9G:==6 42??23:D 4@>A2?J DA64:2=:K:?8 :? 96>A\56C:G65 AC@5F4ED]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D E96 7:CDE A:646 @7 42??23:D =68:D=2E:@? uC66>2? 92D AC@A@D65] w@H6G6C[ 96 D2:5 E96 :DDF6 92D 366? @? 9:D >:?5 D:?46 96 H2D 6=64E65]k^Am
kAm“(96? x H2D <?@4<:?8 @? 5@@CD 42>A2:8?:?8 E9C66 J62CD 28@[ E96 7:CDE E9:?8 A6@A=6 H@F=5 2D< >6 H2D[ ‘2C6 J@F 7@C E96 =682=:K2E:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2n’” uC66>2? E@=5 E96 k6>m!@DEk^6>m] “pE 7:CDE[ x E9@F89E :E H2D 2 EC2A BF6DE:@?[ 3FE >J 4@?DE:EF6?ED 2C6 86?F:?6=J A2DD:@?2E6 23@FE E96 :DDF6] %6??6DD62?D 2C6 C625J]”k^Am
kAmWuC66>2?’D 72E96C[ q:== uC66>2?[ @H?D E96 k6>m!@DEk^6>m]Xk^Am
kAm%9@F89 96 :D A2DD:@?2E6 23@FE E96 42FD6[ 96 E9:?<D :E :D F?=:<6=J E96 3:== H:== 8@ 2?JH96C6]k^Am
kAm“tG6? E9@F89 D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 eg A6C46?E @7 %6??6DD62?D DFAA@CE E96 =682=:K2E:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2[ x 5@F3E eg A6C46?E @7 E96 =68:D=2EFC6 H:== G@E6 E@ A2DD E96 3:==[” uC66>2? D2:5]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmkDEC@?8mw@FD6 q:== `eh_k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^A@=:E:4D^DE2E6^3:==\7:=65\E@\E2I\2?5\C68F=2E6\42??23:D\AC@5F4ED\:?4=F5:?8\56=E2\g^2CE:4=60bdcbf63e\fc3g\``64\g_ah\a33`__ca67d5]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mwFCE’D 3:== D66<D E@ C68F=2E6k^DEC@?8mk^2m E96 6I:DE:?8 42??23:D :?5FDECJ[ DA64:7:42==J ADJ49@EC@A:4 96>A\56C:G65 42??23:?@:5D[ H9:49 :?4=F56 AC@5F4ED E92E 92G6 >@C6 E92? _]`\A6C46?E %wr W4FCC6?E 7656C2= C68F=2E:@?D =:>:E %wr E@ _]b A6C46?EX] %9:D :?4=F56D AC@5F4ED 4@?E2:?:?8 E96 ?6H=J A@AF=2C s6=E2\g 3FE ?@E AFC6 rqs AC@5F4ED[ H9:49 5@ ?@E 4@?E2:? %wr]k^Am
kAmw:D 3:== H@F=5 4C62E6 2 =:46?D:?8 C6BF:C6>6?E 7@C C6E2:=6CD 2?5 H9@=6D2=6CD @7 ADJ49@EC@A:4 96>A\56C:G65 42??23:?@:5D[ 6DE23=:D9 2 e]e\A6C46?E 6I4:D6 E2I @? E96 H9@=6D2=6 @7 96>A\56C:G65 42??23:?@:5D 2?5 =:>:E D2=6 @7 ADJ49@EC@A:4 96>A\56C:G65 AC@5F4ED =:<6 s6=E2\g E@ E9@D6 a` 2?5 @=56C]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmkDEC@?8m(9J E96 :?E6C6DEnk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= 724E@CD :?7=F6?4:?8 E9:D ?6H 4C@A @7 42??23:D\C6=2E65 =68:D=2E:@?] %6??6DD66 C6>2:?D @?6 @7 E96 76H DE2E6D E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^>282K:?6^H:?E6C0a_a`^@?6\DE6A\7@CH2C5^2CE:4=60e7fddc5c\b6ee\``64\h62`\g77fg_h76gg`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m=24<D 2 4@>AC696?D:G6 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2 AC@8C2>k^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am
kAmqFE >F49 @7 E96 AFD9 92D 4@>6 7C@> E96 %6??6DD66 vC@H6CD r@2=:E:@?[ H9:49 3:==D :ED6=7 2D 2 ?@?\A2CE:D2? 8C@FA 7@C E96 7F== =682=:K2E:@? @7 42??23:D] uC66>2? 2?5 wFCE 3@E9 H@C<65 H:E9 E96 %vr @? E96:C 3:==D]k^Am
