NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – A bill has passed in Tennessee that dictates how the state would respond if the federal government changes its stance on marijuana.
One part of the bill says that if the federal government changes marijuana‘s classification as a controlled substance, it will not immediately mean the drug will be legal to use in Tennessee. Instead, Tennesseans will have to wait on lawmakers to create a framework for its use before the reclassification is applied at the state level.
That bill is now on its way to the governor’s desk. If he signs it, the plan will become law.
The amendment on federal marijuana classification was added to a bill that’s focused on urging the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study whether the state is prepared to support a medical marijuana program.
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When lawmakers officially signed off on the bill, they added the amendment as a last-minute change. It ultimately would prevent marijuana from being reclassified or removed as a controlled substance under state law unless the General Assembly first creates a regulatory framework for marijuana and authorizes the change.
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Federal action alone would not automatically make changes at the state level, according to the bill; instead, lawmakers would have to create a system before the change would occur.
In December of 2025, Pres. Donald Trump signed an executive order reclassifying cannabis federally, loosening restrictions on marijuana. Previously, it was classified as a Schedule I drug; it will now be considered a Schedule III drug.
Across the country, 24 states, three territories and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana recreationally and 40 states and another territory allow medical use.
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