Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The landmark legislation that would have made medical use of marijuana legal in Tennessee is officially dead for the year.
The House sponsor of the legislation said Tuesday the bill was being taken off notice for the current legislative session and a task force would be established by legislative leaders House Speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally to discuss the issue this summer.
But Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said it's not because of the lack of support in his chamber that the bill died.
"The Senate, bless their heart, are just scared to death of their voters," Faison said Tuesday after the House Health Committee punted a non-binding marijuana-related resolution to summer study.
Faison said he believes the House would have voted for his measure, which would have established a medical marijuana program managed by three different state agencies and started in economically distressed parts of the state.
He said there still exists an irrational fear of marijuana and a stigma that it's a terrible drug.
"That plant — it's not killing us, it's the legal prescriptions that are killing us," he said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Dead Because Senate 'Scared,' Lawmaker Says
Author: Jake Lowary
Contact: 615-259-8095
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: The Tennessean
The House sponsor of the legislation said Tuesday the bill was being taken off notice for the current legislative session and a task force would be established by legislative leaders House Speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally to discuss the issue this summer.
But Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said it's not because of the lack of support in his chamber that the bill died.
"The Senate, bless their heart, are just scared to death of their voters," Faison said Tuesday after the House Health Committee punted a non-binding marijuana-related resolution to summer study.
Faison said he believes the House would have voted for his measure, which would have established a medical marijuana program managed by three different state agencies and started in economically distressed parts of the state.
He said there still exists an irrational fear of marijuana and a stigma that it's a terrible drug.
"That plant — it's not killing us, it's the legal prescriptions that are killing us," he said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Dead Because Senate 'Scared,' Lawmaker Says
Author: Jake Lowary
Contact: 615-259-8095
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: The Tennessean
