Can Tennessee follow other states’ plans to legalize marijuana?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – Proposed bill after bill goes up in smoke. Once again this week, Tennessee lawmakers rejected the idea of ​​medical marijuana in the volunteer state.

It’s worth noting that the Tennessee bill died on committee by a narrow 9-8 vote so it could be amended to pass. Lawmakers have heard from thousands of voters saying they could benefit from medical marijuana.

For people like TJ Ramsey, who suffers from epileptic seizures, his lawmaker mom Holly says that medical marijuana would change his life.

“Hopefully that would make a big difference in his life, even if I didn’t have 100% control over the seizures, even if there were only five a day,” said Holly Ramsey.

What’s next? Other states with legal pot once faced similar hurdles.

Tennessee is so close, all you have to do is check out the Lone Star State

“I hope Tennessee Texas will follow suit so patients can have safe access to the facility.” Jax Finkle of Informed Texas helped pass CBD medical legislation to treat seizures back in 2015.

She says it took lawmakers some time to overcome the stigma of the pot. “We really focused on education and engagement,” said Finkle.

Lawyers convinced the legislature of the health and economic benefits. However, the question remained: “How can we determine whether or not people are disabled?”

Kristi Kelly helped pass laws in Colorado and Michigan

A breathalyzer won’t work for cannabis. Legislators believed that field sobriety tests did this. However, in Tennessee lawmakers are also rejecting laws suggesting that marijuana is still a List I illegal drug at the federal level – right there with heroin.

“I’m frustrated that the arguments don’t make sense to me as to why,” said Holly Ramsey.

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall agrees.

Breaking with others in law enforcement, he says states can legislate for themselves regardless of outdated federal guidelines.

“I think it should go. It will go. If someone sits here pretending it isn’t going to happen, that’s wrong. You’re behind the times,” Hall said.

Those are the words of the sheriff in the state’s largest city, where the district attorney doesn’t even prosecute cases of less than half an ounce of marijuana.

The drumbeat in Tennessee is getting louder. Many believe that if medical marijuana were brought to the polls of the people of Tennessee, it would perish.

In Tennessee, however, the issue must be decided by the elected officials.