Medical Marijuana In Tennessee: Legislative Study Coming

NASHVILLE, TN — A special joint committee of the Tennessee General Assembly will study legalizing marijuana for medical use, legislative leaders announced Friday.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Speaker of the House Beth Harwell appointed members to the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Medical Cannabis, co-chaired by Sen. Steve Dickerson, a Nashville Republican, and Rep. Jeremy Faison, Republican of Cosby. Dickerson, a doctor and a moderate, and Faison, an ardent conservative, led the latest effort to bring medical marijuana to Tennessee in the legislature's last session.

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Harwell, who is running for governor, is one of a number of Republicans — including some, like Faison and Strawberry Plains Sen. Frank Niceley, who are part of the more conservative wing of the party — who have offered support for access to medical marijuana. The Dickerson-Faison billed died because "bless their heart" the Senate was "scared" of passing the bill, according to Faison.

In addition to Dickerson and Faison, the members of the committee are:

• Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville)
• Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville)
• Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald)
• Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City)
• Rep. Bob Ramsey (R-Maryville)
• Rep. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis)
• Rep. Sheila Butt (R-Columbia)
• Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin)

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