The state of Tennessee has a rich past — and promising future — with the cash crop

Tennessee has been a hemp state for a lot longer than it hasn’t been one.

The versatile plant was already a major cash crop in the United States by the time Tennessee joined the union in 1796, and pioneer families who’d had success with it brought it across the Applachians from Virginia and the Carolinas. Producing hemp was critical at a time when ships were the primary conveyances of commerce, as its tough fibers are perfect for making sails and lines, and farmers could cash in with both government and private commercial supply contracts.

Tennessee just turned heads in the cannabis world by introducing a 2022 legalization bill. 

The top five cities that are Google searching terms like “state cannabis legalization” are all places where cannabis is completely illegal.

Industrial hemp growers in Tennessee are required to renew their licenses with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) by June 30, 2021.

“Hemp continues to be an important crop in Tennessee,” Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “The marketplace is evolving and growers are finding new ways to use and market their crop. We want to see the industry flourish, and TDA has abundant resources to make sure growers have what they need.”

New applications are accepted year-round and expire June 30. New applicants and renewing applicants must submit an application, license fees, and required documentation. If a renewal application and payment are not received by the deadline, the grower’s license will expire June 30, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Throughout the country, cannabis regulations are changing every day. Some areas are experiencing more dramatic legislative upgrades than others, but every little step forward still counts. At the moment, there are 5 states that come to mind because, one, they are making big moves, or two, they are conservative states that most people were expecting would hold on to prohibition for much longer.

This week we’re focusing on the East Coast and Deep South, with updates from Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

A medical marijuana bill making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly will go before the senate health and welfare committee on Wednesday.

If passed, the bill would request the Tennessee Department of Health to perform a study on medical marijuana licensing and regulations in neighboring states and report those findings to the general assembly’s health committees by December 15 of this year.

State Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) reintroduced a bill that would allow for the use of medical marijuana earlier this year.

A Tennessee bill seeking to make cannabis legal for medical purposes is moving forward.

The "Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act" seeks to regulate medical marijuana.