Bill > SB0489

This bill establishes the Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act, creating a comprehensive medical cannabis program to be administered by the Tennessee Medical Cannabis Program Commission. The bill aims to provide legal access to medical cannabis for patients with qualifying medical conditions, such as cancer, epilepsy, chronic pain, PTSD, and over 20 other specific conditions. To participate, patients must be 18 or older, be a Tennessee resident, obtain a medical cannabis card, and have a certification from a healthcare provider. The program will initially issue 12 total licenses (3 urban and 4 rural licenses in each of Tennessee's three grand divisions) to cultivate, process, and sell medical cannabis, with strict regulations around licensing, testing, transportation, and sales. The bill includes provisions for a track and trace system to monitor cannabis from seed to sale, establishes a medical cannabis tax of 9%, and creates a special fund to distribute tax revenues to various state programs including agricultural development, veterans services, and law enforcement training. Importantly, the bill does not require employers to accommodate medical cannabis use, does not mandate insurance coverage, and sets strict testing and labeling requirements to ensure product safety. The program is set to become operational on July 1, 2025, with initial licensing and rulemaking beginning immediately upon the bill's passage.

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https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0489&ga=114