Tennessee is where music pulses through rolling hills and smoky mountains. From Nashville’s country music to Memphis blues, Tennessee is known for its southern charm, whisky, and warm hospitality. 

CBD is completely legal in Tennessee, so if you are planning to munch on some relaxing CBD gummies while enjoying the scenic beauty of the taste, you can do that legally. 

Sadly, Tennessee has an opioid crisis, and many experts believe that CBD can be a much better and safer alternative to addictive opioids for the management of pain, anxiety, and mental health issues. 

Tennessee is one of the early adopters of the 2018 farm bill, which has legalized the production, sale, and consumption of CBD products with no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. 

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at laws and regulations around CBD, how it evolved, and what’s best for you to enjoy the healing effects of the hemp plant in this southern state. 

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Evolution of CBD Laws in Tennessee 

Now that we know the current state of CBD laws in Tennessee, let’s take a look at how it has evolved over time. The state first launched its plot hemp program in 2015. Under this, the state distributed licenses for cultivators to grow industrial hemp for research purposes in universities and health institutions. 

This was the first iteration of the farm bill. In 2016, the Tennessee Senate signed Bill 2125 into law. This law classified marijuana and hemp as different substances. It identified any cannabis plant as “hemp” if it has 0.6% or less THC. 

But it was only allowed if research institutions grew it, made things from it, shared it, or kept it for studying health impact in trials. In 2017, Tennessee modified the definition of hemp to make it more accessible. 

This was done through Passfin Bill 1164, and as per this rule, the classification of hemp changed from having 0.6% THC to 0.3% THC. This year, the state also submitted its new and modified hemp plans to the country’s agriculture department. 

 Current CBD Laws in Tennessee

Tennessee has a hit-and-miss relationship with cannabinoid-based products. Recently, in 2022, the government tried to outright ban hemp-derived CBD products but didn’t get enough votes to do so. 

In fact, the sale of delta-8 and other cannabinoid-derived products generates around $180 million for Tennessee. Seeing this revenue potential, lawmakers decided to give authority to the state’s agricultural department to modify rules for THCA, CBD, Delta 8, and other such products. 

As per the new legislation, no one can buy hemp-derived cannabidiol products under the age of 21. Regular CBD products like gummies, oils, tints, balms, or capsules are not an issue here. They are easily available as long as the THC content in them is no more than 0.3%. 

However, Delta-9 THC cannot be more than 0.3%, because marijuana is completely banned and illegal. As per the latest rules, even medical and recreational use of marijuana is completely banned. To circumvent this, brands started selling smokeable Delta-8 THC products like CBD and THCA flower. 

Why? Because delta-8 THC comes from hemp plants, technically one can’t label it as marijuana. The government has an issue with it because, with the naked eye, no one can tell if the shopkeeper is selling Delta 9-carrying products (which is illegal) or just Delta 8-carrying products. 

Where can I buy CBD in Tennessee? 

There are plenty of avenues to easily buy CBD products in Tennessee. The brick-and-mortar options include vape lounges, retail CBD stores, branded outlets, health and wellness centers, some specific pharmacies, and more. 

People also have the option to buy their CBD from dispensaries, but these are not medical marijuana dispensaries, as the state has a complete ban on Marijuana. Also, earlier age was not much of an issue; the farm bill has no directive on minimum age, so it’s left to the state to decide it. 

Earlier there were no strict criteria; stores were giving CBD to anyone over 18, but since 2022, the state passed new laws, and now you must be over 21 to buy CBD legally. To avoid the hassle, you can also buy CBD from reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals online. 

The End Note

To sum it up, yes, CBD is legal in Tennessee. Anyone over the age of 21 can buy hemp-derived CBD products legally in this southern state through both online and offline stores. 

Tennessee doesn’t have a medical marijuana program, so citizens don’t have any access to high THC-carrying marijuana-derived CBD products. But the laws are subject to constant change, so always read up on the latest developments if you are an outsider planning to carry CBD along on your trip to Tennessee. 

Well, that’s all for today. Wherever you live, make sure to get your CBD only from reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.