Tennessee Governor Signs Bill Blocking State Medical Marijuana Legalization Review Following Federal Rescheduling Tennessee’s governor has signed a bill to block an automatic review that could have potentially legalized medical marijuana under state law following the federal rescheduling of the drug. Under Tennessee law, federal reclassification of a substance generally triggers an automatic review by the state’s commissioner of health and commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services. However, the newly approved SB1603, signed by Governor Bill Lee (R) on Thursday, prevents this process from applying to cannabis. The bill explicitly states that if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, the state commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services will not reschedule or delete marijuana under state drug laws unless the state legislature establishes a regulatory framework and authorizes the commissioner to do so. The governor’s action coincided with the U.S. Department of Justice’s announcement that it is formally moving forward with marijuana rescheduling. Last month, House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R) had emphasized that the federal effort to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act could remove roadblocks at the state level. Lamberth noted that his primary objections to medical marijuana legalization were being addressed by the federal government, allowing doctors to determine the therapeutic use of cannabis. With Lee’s bill, Tennessee will no longer automatically review cannabis rescheduling under state law, though lawmakers could still pass legislation to legalize medical marijuana if they choose. Rep.#us_department_of_justice #tennessee_governor #bill_lee #sb1603 #house_majority_leader_william_lamberth
