GOP Senator Continues Push For Legal Medical Marijuana: Will The Second Time Be A Charm?

A push to legalize medical marijuana in Tennessee failed last year when a bill from Republican Senator Janice Bowling was killed, even though it advanced through a committee previously.

However, separate legislation sponsored by Bowling's fellow Republicans — Rep. Bryan Terry and Sen. Ferrell Haile — received a hearing in the House Criminal Justice Committee a year later.

Bowling is now getting ready for another push, according to The Tullahoma News.

The bill, SB2477/HB2458, would allow those with qualifying medical conditions to use medical cannabis legally. It will also regulate the cultivation, production, distribution, transport, sale, and possession of cannabis for medical use and research.

Moreover, she pointed out that her piece of legislation secured her an invitation to Alabama last year, where Gov. Kay Ivey signed a medical cannabis bill into law.

“It was kind of bittersweet to go [to Alabama] and rejoice with them and kind of be sad that Tennessee didn’t do it,” she said.

A Restaurant That Serves THC

Meanwhile, Tennessee recently got a bar and restaurant that serves THC. However, THC in the products derives from hemp, making it legal at the federal level.

Located at 1246 3rd Avenue in the Germantown neighborhood, Buds & Brews features a menu of “upscale bar fare” paired with a line of “delicious cannabis-infused sauces.”

The restaurant provides patrons with over 25 THC-infused condiments for common dressings like ketchup, honey mustard, and ranch dressing. Also, steak sauce infused with hemp-derived THC in 1-5 milligram servings.

Photo: Courtesy of Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash