AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 1-3-113; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 15; Title 43, Chapter 27; Section 53-11-451 and Title 67, relative to hemp.
SB1007 revises Tennessee’s hemp regulatory framework to specifically address “smoking hemp” and hemp-derived cannabinoid products. It creates a statutory definition for smoking hemp, clarifies who counts as a manufacturer, retailer, and supplier, and makes it an offense to manufacture, produce, or sell these products without the required license. The bill also authorizes seizure and forfeiture of unlicensed products sold in violation of the law.
The measure adds new compliance requirements for businesses handling smoking hemp, including licensing deadlines, random unannounced inspections, and restrictions on retail locations within 500 feet of K-12 schools unless the site was already selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products on the bill’s effective date. It also imposes packaging and labeling standards for smoking hemp, including child-resistant packaging, warning labels, net weight disclosure, QR-code access to potency test results, and an expiration date tied to testing. In addition, the bill extends Tennessee’s 6% additional sales tax to retail sales of smoking hemp and updates related provisions throughout the code to incorporate the new category of products.
The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated, primarily in Title 43 (hemp regulation), Title 67 (taxation), and related enforcement provisions. It expands the state’s hemp regulatory scheme beyond hemp-derived cannabinoid products to include smoking hemp, creating new licensing, inspection, labeling, and retail-location rules, while also subjecting noncompliant products to seizure and forfeiture. Retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers of smoking hemp would face new operational and tax obligations beginning July 1, 2025, with rulemaking authority effective immediately.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears regulatory and public-safety oriented rather than overtly partisan. The bill is structured to tighten oversight, improve consumer information, and limit youth access, suggesting support for stronger controls on hemp products that can be smoked. No direct opposition, amendments, or recorded debate are available in the provided context.
The main points of potential contention are the added licensing burden, the school-proximity restriction, and the expanded inspection and labeling requirements for businesses selling smoking hemp. Retailers and suppliers may view the bill as increasing compliance costs and limiting where products can be sold, while supporters are likely to emphasize child safety, product transparency, and enforcement against unlicensed sales. The new tax on smoking hemp sales may also be disputed by affected businesses as an additional financial burden.