News — medical marijuana

Tennessee Cannabis History Tennessee is one of 14 remaining states that has yet to legalize medical marijuana use.  However, attitudes are changing quickly, and 2021’s SB854 seeks to legalize medical marijuana for qualified patients and establish a Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate production and sales. On March 2, the Senate Government Operations Committee approved SB 854 in a 6-2 vote.   Tennessee Child-Resistant Packaging Rules Like all states that authorize the use of CBD products, Tennessee mandates that the packaging is child-resistant and labeled in accordance with the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). Under the FDCA, the labels of...

Utah Cannabis History In 2014, House Bill 105 was signed into law, legalizing possession and use of low-THC CBD oil by qualifying patients with severe epilepsy.  2015’s Senate Bill 259 sought to expand the list of qualifying conditions, but the bill was defeated.  Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 eventually passed in 2016, expanding the list and urging that marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule II drug instead of Schedule I. In 2018, HB 195 was passed, legalizing the "right to try" and grow medical marijuana plants for terminally ill patients.  Later in 2018, the Utah Medical Cannabis Act was signed into...

South Dakota Cannabis History   In November 2020, South Dakota voters approved two separate measures to end a century of marijuana prohibition in the state.  Constitutional Amendment A, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, was approved by voters but later overturned by a judge for being unconstitutional. Initiated Measure 26 goes into effect in July, 2021 and will grant state residents access to medical marijuana. It would also create a system to license and regulate marijuana businesses and also requires the legislature to pass laws by 2022 regulating the cultivation, processing, and sale of hemp.   South Dakota Child-Resistant Packaging Rules 2021's...

Texas Cannabis History Until 1973, Texas was known for having the harshest cannabis laws in the country, with possession of any amount considered a felony.  1973’s House Bill 447 significantly reduced those penalties. In 2015, Senate Bill 339 – the Texas Compassionate Use Act – was signed into law, allowing the use of low-THC cannabis oil (less than 0.5% THC) for the treatment of epilepsy. 2019’s House Bill 1325 legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, and the sale of hemp-derived CBD products without the need for a doctor’s approval.  The list of qualifying conditions were also expanded that year with...