Democrats introduced a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly this week to legalize marijuana.
HB 1968 “[a]uthorizes the possession and transport of marijuana or marijuana concentrate, in permitted amounts, for adults who are at least 21 years of age (adults). Authorizes transfer of marijuana or marijuana concentrate between adults, in permitted amounts, without remuneration. Authorizes cultivation of up to 12 marijuana plants for adults. Authorizes the possession, storage, and processing of marijuana on an adult’s residence, in permitted amounts. Authorizes a parent, guardian, or conservator to administer a marijuana product, excluding any combustible product, to a minor, over whom the parent, guardian, or conservator has legal authority.”
State Representative Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) is the House sponsor for the bill.
Its companion bill, SB 2598, was also introduced in the State Senate. State Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Oak Hill) is sponsoring the bill there.
Inside the bill is also a proposed breakdown of how to spend sales tax revenue from the sale of legalized marijuana in the state. The sales tax on marijuana would be 15 percent, more than double the state’s typical sales tax of 7 percent.
According to the bill, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) would receive half of the sales tax revenue for the purpose of “administration and enforcement” of the law, along with education and implementation initiatives.
Twenty percent of the sales tax revenue would be used to train police officers on the new marijuana laws, to “support of law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty,” and to “support of families of law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty.”
The bill does not detail what that support would be.
Another 20 percent of the tax revenue would benefit the State Employee Legacy Pension Stabilization Reserve Trust. Five percent would be given to the Department of Education (DOE), and the last five percent to the Department of Revenue (DOR) to administer the provisions of the bill.
The Tennessee Star reached out to several House Republicans asking if the bill would even merit consideration, but none returned comment requests.
_ _ _
Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bob Freeman” by Tennessee General Assembly. Photo “Heidi Campbell” by Tennessee General Assembly. Background Photo “Medical Marijuana” by O’Dea. CC BY-SA 4.0.
It seems we the people in Tennessee have even less knowledge or awareness of the use of cannabis in todays society then I have ever realized until reading all of these comments. I am late to the discussion but nevertheless feel the need to input that it’s not what most older individuals think it is. It’s actually astonishing how many still believe it’s turning people into “zombies” and making people dumb. There’s a lot of people I personally know that don’t smoke, and they can be identified as “dumb” my most people they come in contact with. On the other hand I know people who do smoke and the truth is, they are all around you, I know nurses, doctors, business owners, even police officers who smoke. The same people who are saying that it shouldn’t be made legal are also calling themselves republicans, as a republican I can say I don’t want any freedoms to be taken from me or anyone else in the United States of America. The simple fact is that it’s a plant, a plant that simply relaxes you, eases physical pain, and has greatly helped in the process of rebuilding oneself. The government has done nothing but lie throughout history on the use and effects of cannabis. If you’ve never used it you will never fully understand the benefits of it. The fact that Alcohol is legal and nobody is fighting for that to be more controlled shows you don’t know which is worse, I’ve had alcoholics in my family as well as cannabis users, guess which ones lived longer. Which ones had better relationships in the family and had a more successful career throughout there life? I’ve never seen two people smoke and start fighting, or start arguments, break relationships or physically abuse someone under the “influence” of cannabis. Yet we have college kids who die from alcohol poisoning, or fathers who die at the age of 40 because they have drank their whole lives. That doesn’t happen to cannabis user, especially now that there is other ways to take it without even smoking. My last point is I’ve been to California, Colorado, and Oregon on vacations and it was always amazing, California not so much because of all the democrats and stupidity but that’s not because of cannabis, it’s mainly from the “I want to be a star” or “I’m better then everybody” mentality that I should add also doesn’t come from cannabis use. We already have enough people in Nashville and surrounding areas, mostly drunks which is why we have wrecks everyday. Do your research before believing in everything you hear that pleases your belief. Now is the time to get education on everything going on in America with our government actively trying to take all of our rights away.
You tell them brother
Thank you for being smart I believe this is the first step to cleaning our streets and breaking away from supporting the cartel
After Massachusetts legalized it, you could smell everyone smoking it while driving. I voted for legalization (for freedom’s sake) but after implementation, I totally regretted my vote. The marijuana is so very potent for recreational users, that it just serves to dumbs down our society. This especially targets young men who should be leaders not stoners! Medical is no better. The docs just become an “expert” and you give them $250 cash for the script. Say no!