State Senator Janice Bowling (R) filed Senate Bill 489 today, legislation that would establish a regulated medical marijuana program in Tennessee, making them the 40th medical marijuana state.
The Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act outlines a framework for cultivation, production, distribution, and patient access to medical marijuana, while also supporting agricultural development and research into the benefits of THC.
The bill highlights that dozens of states, including Tennessee’s neighbors Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Virginia, have already legalized medical marijuana, noting that studies have linked medical marijuana programs to reductions in opioid overdoses. The proposal would create a Tennessee Medical Cannabis Program Commission to oversee the system, including the licensing of cultivation, processing, and dispensary operations.
If passed, SB 489 would allow Tennessee residents with the following conditions to qualify for medical marijuana access:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Epilepsy
- HIV/AIDS
- Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Opioid addiction
- Renal failure
- Severe nausea or chronic pain
- Cachexia, persistent muscle spasms, or seizures
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Chronic radiculopathy
- Severe psoriasis
- Post-laminectomy syndrome
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Complex pain syndromes (trigeminal neuralgia, ALS, Parkinson’s disease)
- End-of-life pain management or palliative care
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Tourette syndrome
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Sickle cell disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Cystic fibrosis
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Muscular dystrophy
- Terminal conditions
- Other conditions as approved by the commission
Under the bill, Tennessee would create a “track and trace” system to regulate the supply chain, ensuring that all marijuana products are licensed, monitored, and traced from cultivation to the point of sale. Dispensaries would be referred to as “medical cannabis wellness dispensaries”. Smoking or vaping products would not be allowed, although it does give the commission the authority to change this.
Tennessee lawmakers have historically resisted efforts to legalize medical marijuana, but SB 489 represents one of the most comprehensive proposals introduced in the state.
