Tennessee

Navigating Tennessee State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

Get involved locally!

Background on State Laws

Despite minor changes in 2016, Tennessee has failed to make any significant changes to its program, and still lacks a system for in-state production and dispensing, civil protections for patients, and product safety guidelines. CBD treatment is legal in Tennessee. Patients with a legal recommendation may possess CBD oils with no more than 0.9 percent THC. Only public universities are authorized to grow and manufacture that oil. Out-of-state patient registrations are recognized in Tennessee; however, they only cover cannabis obtained in another state containing less than .9% THC and clearly labeled as such is allowed. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

Here is a breakdown of how Tennessee fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Tennessee can be found below. For policy updates Sign Up here or Take Action!

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	24/100
Arrest Protection 12/25 Affirmative Defense 12/20 Parental Rights Protections 0/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Employment Protections 0/20 Explicit Privacy Standards 0/5
Access to Medicine	0/100
Authorizes Retail Access 0/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 0/20 - Authorizes Delivery 0/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 0/10 Personal Cultivation 0/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 0/30 Reciprocity 0/20
Program Functionality	22/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 16/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 2/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 0/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 0/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 0/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 0/5 - Background Checks 0/2 - Number of Caregivers 0/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 3/5 Access to Administration Methods 1/10 - Allows Dried Flower 0/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 1/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	40/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 0/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 20/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 20/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	13/100
State Program Protections 0/25 Housing Protections 0/25 Access for Minors 9/10 Access in Underserved Areas 0/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 4/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 0/10 Organ Transplants 0/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 0/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	0/200
Cultivation Operations 0/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 0/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 0/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 0/8 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 0/3 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 0/7 Manufacturing Operations 0/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 0/10 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Residual Solvents 0/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 0/5 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 0/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/5 Dispensary Operations 0/50 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Product Testing 0/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 0/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/13 Laboratory Operations 0/50 Independent or Third-Party 0/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 0/4 Quality Management Systems 0/5 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Result Reporting 0/4
Score Penalties	15/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 10/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 5/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.