A Major Win For the Hemp Industry 

The Tennessee legislature has passed new legislation that will increase the comprehensive regulations on hemp products in the state. The bill — HB 0403 —  introduced by Representative William Lamberth is, on the surface, reminiscent of HB 1927, introduced last year. Last year’s bill initially had the objective of declassifying Delta-8 THC as “hemp” and combining  it with Delta-9 THC. HB 1927 was ultimately pulled from consideration following the testimony of several hemp companies,  who noted a potential loss of revenue and jobs in the state if passed. This year’s bill clearly takes the concerns that were raised during the hearings into consideration, and sets a precedent that satisfies many Tennesseans.

HB 0403 adds an additional 6% taxing on all products containing any type of THC. This additional revenue will be used to fund the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s implementation and maintenance of the new regulations moving forward. From a consumer standpoint, the purchase of all THC-based products will require government-issued photo identification that verifies the purchaser is at least twenty-one years of age. Additionally, all THC products will be kept behind counters, inaccessible to purchasers.

The new law will introduce updated packaging and labeling requirements which require child-resistant containers and nutrition information, which until now had been voluntary. Serving sizes will be limited to twenty-five milligrams per serving, and mandatory full-panel testing will be required for all products. Designs on labeling are now restricted from including “superheroes, comic book characters, video game characters, television show characters, movie characters, mythical creatures, and unicorns.” 

These policies will not only help keep communities safe but also ensure the hemp industry is trustworthy and prosperous, continuing to employ thousands of Tennesseans.

We at Snapdragon Hemp support common-sense regulations like HB0403 and have been preparing for this for years. We are looking forward to the changes that this legislation will bring; these are all steps we have taken, and continue to expand upon, since we opened our first retail store. We are licensed by the Department of Agriculture to produce and sell hemp, and our products are lab-tested using only ISO certified, DEA registered laboratories. This allows us to sell licensed, legal, and lab-tested THC products both physically and online.