NASHVILLE – A Tennessee effort to ban sales or possession of delta-8 products if the hemp-derived substance contains more than 0.03% of the psychoactive drug THC is advancing in the General Assembly.
The legislation cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Criminal Justice Subcommittee last week. It has the support of law enforcement officials, who say the products – which often come in the form of gummies and cookies – are getting into the hands of children and can be dangerous.
Senate Bill 1904/House Bill 1927 passed both committees as officials from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as well as the Department of Safety and Homeland Security urged lawmakers to approve it.
But the legislation has triggered alarms among growers, retailers and others involved in Tennessee’s estimated $75 million to $100 million hemp industry. They say their products are safe. And their rebuttal to law enforcement is another bill, SB 1767/HB 1690. It seeks to regulate delta-8. It would require testing, ban sales to anyone under age 21 and impose a 6.6% privilege tax on both delta-8 and delta-10, a variant.
Producers and retailers argued for the House regulatory measure, which moved through a subcommittee last week on a voice vote. But it failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 3-6 vote.