GOP legislator questions MMJ legalization, calls it a ‘stepping stone’ for leisure use

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By Jelena Martinovich

Tennessee, one in every of a number of states the place solely CBD oil is authorized, has seen its fair proportion of legislative motion on hashish by GOP legislators, but has not come near legalization or demonetization of medical and leisure marijuana.

Nonetheless, hashish It stays a scorching subject amongst politicians on this southern state. Consultant Sabi ‘Doc’ Kumar (R-Springfield) was the newest to share his stand on the difficulty.

Kumar, who has had a profession spanning 4 a long time as a surgeon, advised the Nashville Information, “I am averse to leisure marijuana due to its influence on society in relation to homelessness, rising crime, elevated availability, particularly for our teenagers and teenagers. I oppose.”

Nonetheless, he isn’t in opposition to using medical hashish, although he believes it may turn into a gateway drug.

“Many states, It is a transfer for leisure marijuana, and I am positively against leisure marijuana,” he stated. “I believe our basic meeting opposes it lots as a result of it provides one other drug to the streets.”

Curiously, Kumar objected to the figures reported by the ACLU, saying that black and brown individuals had been practically 4 occasions extra more likely to be arrested for hashish than white individuals.

“Should you had not dedicated the crime, you wouldn’t have been in jail. So, in reality, it might be culturally that some persons are extra susceptible to commit that crime,” he stated. When you have dedicated a criminal offense, that is why you went to jail. You did not go to jail due to your complexion.”

medical marijuana
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Fellow Republicans Agree

In the meantime, Kumar’s fellow Republican, Sen. Pleasure Hensley (R-Hohenwald), has a largely related opinion on the difficulty, skeptical of the advantages of marijuana touted by medical hashish customers.

“Individuals declare it helps numerous medical issues, and I am not saying it does not assist some issues,” Hensley, additionally a health care provider, advised the information outlet. “I do not assume it helps in any respect that individuals declare it helps.”

RELATED: GOP Senator Continues Pushing for Authorized Medical Marijuana in Tennessee: Will a Second Time Be an Attract?

Nonetheless, he thinks that the dedication of hashish as Schedule I on the federal degree has paved the way in which for extra analysis on marijuana’s results on the human physique.

“We simply want to have the ability to change the scheduling on that after which be capable to do some research, after which see what we’ve to do after that,” Hensley stated.

medical marijuana
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Tennessee Legalization Efforts

In the meantime, two Republican lawmakers – Rep. The regulation — sponsored by Brian Terry and Sen. Ferrell Hale — that sought to create a medical hashish program within the state, was heard earlier this yr within the Home Legal Justice Committee.

Republican Senator Janice Bowling, finest recognized for her hashish coverage reform efforts, is on the brink of make one other push.

RELATED: GOP lawmakers urge Deem to think about the environmental influence of hashish laws

Her invoice, SB2477/HB2458, would permit individuals with eligible medical circumstances to make use of medical hashish legally. It could additionally regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, transportation, sale and possession of hashish for medical use and analysis.

In the meantime, Tennessee just lately acquired its first bar and restaurant to serve THC-containing merchandise derived from hashish. Positioned at 1246 third Avenue within the Germantown neighborhood, Buds & Brews includes a menu of “upscale bar fare,” paired with a line of “scrumptious cannabis-infused sauces.”

This text was initially printed on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

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