Tennessee presents several cannabis legalization projects

Several bills to legalize cannabis have been introduced in the Tennessee State Legislature, covering both medical and recreational use.

These new bills come as the Neighboring Mississippi recently became the 37th U.S. state and the third state in the Deep South to legalize medical cannabis.

Tennessee Democratic Representative Jason Powell has introduced a bill to create a medical cannabis program. Tennessee is one of 13 states that have not yet legalized medical cannabis. However, a recent poll found that 81% of Tennessee voters support allowing patients and doctors to decide on the use of medical cannabis.

Another Democratic representative, Bob Freeman, has introduced a bill that would fully legalize cannabis. Tennessee is also one of 19 states that still punish simple cannabis possession with a prison sentence: possession of half an ounce (14g) or less is punishable by nearly a year in prison.

Convincing the Most Conservative Countries

According to the Pew Research Center, Nine out of ten Americans are in favor the legalization of cannabis, at least for medical purposes, and more than 60 % of them believe that recreational cannabis should be allowed. Only eight percent of Americans oppose any form of cannabis legalization.

Even in Tennessee, which is traditionally one of the most politically conservative states in the country, more than half of the adult population believes that cannabis should be legal in some form. More than half a dozen polls conducted between 2018 and 2021 by the state’s major media outlets show growing support for the plant, primarily for medical use.

Proposals to legalize cannabis in Tennessee were rejected by Republican lawmakers over the past two years. But 2022 could be the year that brings a referendum on medical cannabis, decriminalization, or the legalization of cannabis for adults.