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A Tennessee lawmaker is calling on the governor and legislative leaders to convene a special session focused on legalizing medical marijuana access for patients.
“For years, Tennesseans have been told to wait,” Rep. Jason Powell (D) said in a press release. “We created a commission. We studied the issue. We have heard from patients, doctors and families across this state. At some point, we have to be willing to act.”
The legislature is set to adjourn for the year this week, but Powell wants Gov. Bill Lee (R) to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to create a state medical cannabis framework as federal marijuana rescheduling moves ahead.
“The suffering of Tennesseans who could benefit from medical cannabis is more than enough reason to bring lawmakers back to Nashville,” the lawmaker said. “If the governor chooses not to act, then members of the General Assembly should come together and call a special session ourselves. This issue deserves action this year.”
Powell, who has previously sponsored legislation to place nonbinding question on the ballot ask voters to weigh on on cannabis reform, said “this is not about recreational use” and is instead “about compassionate care for veterans, cancer patients, and others who are suffering and who deserve access to a safe and regulated medical option.”
“The question is simple,” he said. “If Tennessee has studied this issue and the medical case is clear, what are we waiting for?”
The push for a special session comes after the legislature recently passed a bill to block an automatic review that could potentially legalize medical marijuana under state law following the federal rescheduling of the drug.
Under current Tennessee law, federal reclassification of a substance triggers an automatic review by the state’s commissioner of health and commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services. But under HB1972 and its companion SB1603, which lawmakers voted to send the governor earlier this month, that would not be the case when it comes to cannabis.
“If marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, then the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services shall not reschedule or delete marijuana under [state drug laws] unless the general assembly has established a regulatory framework for marijuana and authorized the commissioner to reschedule or delete marijuana as a controlled substance,” the bill says.
Last month, however, House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R) said the push to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) could remove roadblocks at the state level.
“My biggest objections are being resolved by the federal government right now in rescheduling cannabis and rescheduling specifically marijuana and allowing the doctors to take over and make a determination on how and if these substances could be helpful,” Lamberth said.
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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Tennessee similarly discussed how the federal move to reclassify marijuana could open the door to medical marijuana reform after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in December directing officials to finalize the process.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) said at the time that rescheduling represents a “first step” to medical cannabis reform in Tennessee, though he noted there are still certain outstanding logistical questions to answer.
“There will have to be conversations about who manufactures it, who tests it, who distributes, which medical illness could it be used for, does this require [federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] approval and a host of other questions,” Sexton said.
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 25-year veteran in the cannabis and drug law reform movement, he covers the policy, politics, science and culture of marijuana, psychedelics and other substances. He previously reported for Forbes, Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and was given the Hunter S. Thompson Media Award by NORML and has been named Journalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access. As an activist, Tom founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority and handled media relations, campaigns and lobbying for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
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