Regarding legal CBD oil, Tennessee seems to be in the grips of policy mood swings—now hot, now cold. Since 2016, Tennesseans can legally possess and use CBD oil for a limited number of health conditions. Yet, just as things look up for expansion of use, the pendulum swings to the other side, and general opinion is that in 2018, there will be no joy in this regard. House Bill 1749, introduced in January to “enact the ‘Medical Cannabis Act,’ establishing a medical cannabis commission for regulation of cannabis-related health care,” (paraphrased) is in recess. [1]
All is not looking down, though. Finding out how to get CBD oil in Tennessee may be difficult, but it’s not an impossibility and things are changing. So read on...
First, let’s glance at the legal considerations and how you can legally get CBD oil in Tennessee if you qualify.
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Policy Reform in Tennessee—a Timeline
Lawmakers and law enforcers in this state are very reluctant to let go of the strict regulations against possession and use of marijuana and its compounds, both recreational and medical. However, times are a-changin’, and Tennesseans need to stay up to date with the rest of the states, if not the world.
- Diagnosed with an intractable seizure disorder
- Enrolled in an approved clinical research study
- A patient of a doctor at a clinic or hospital affiliated with a university’s school of medicine
- Practicing at a hospital or clinic affiliated with an approved university school of medicine
- Conducting clinical research on the treatment of intractable seizures
- Have reported their findings of such study to the Tennessee Legislature at the beginning of 2018
- Cancer
- HIV and AIDS
- Hepatitis C
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD
- Alzheimer's disease
- Severe arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Schizophrenia
- Other chronic or debilitating diseases
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So, a limited number of Tennesseans still have limited access to CBD oil. However, while the fine print and details of the state laws regarding CBD oil remain somewhat obscure, it seems that you will not be fined if you have a doctor’s note and a receipt from where you obtained the oil with you. This will probably depend on who is asking, though.
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What Are the Objections to CBD Oil in Tennessee?
The greatest detractors of more permissive CBD laws cite “greater intoxication” among Tennesseans, and “there is not enough medical proof” as reasons for their resistance. Yet, the FDA has recently approved the first CBD-based medicine for intractable epilepsy, obviously with plenty of excellent research to back its decision. Also, cannabis and its healing properties have been a subject of scientific study for decades—simply use Google Scholar to find tens of thousands of studies. Even the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have investigated the long history and proof of cannabis’s efficacy in the treatment of several health conditions. [7]
Regarding the true nature of and use for CBD oil, Tennessee government and law enforcement seem to be generally ignorant and negatively biased. This is not an uncommon obstacle to more enlightened laws, but still not an excuse. The majority of Tennesseans support legal medical marijuana, according to a recent poll. If the people are knowledgeable, shouldn’t the government be even more so? Discovering how to get CBD oil in Tennessee need not be fraught with challenges, especially for those who need it most, so hopefully, the local government will adjust and follow world trends soon. [8]
Sources:
- https://legiscan.com/TN/bill/HB1749/2017
- https://www.safeaccessnow.org/tennessee_medical_marijuana_laws_and_regulations
- https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/28/house-committee-approves-advances-medical-cannabis-legislation/465999002/
- https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/21/house-sponsor-significantly-alters-medical-cannabis-legislation/445409002/
- https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/tennessee/articles/2018-04-03/tennessee-medical-marijuana-bill-dead-for-the-year
- http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/jun/27/bill-named-after-trump/473924/
- https://www.nap.edu/read/24625/chapter/6
- www.wkrn.com/news/poll-77-percent-of-2018-voters-support-legal-medical-marijuana/1077201783
