Tennessee Bill Would Decriminalize the Possession of Less Than One Ounce of Cannabis

Tennessee Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) introduced legislation Jan. 26 to decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of cannabis, according to a local WTVF report.

H.B. 413 would essentially legalize the possession and the casual exchange of up to one ounce of cannabis, as long as no transaction is taking place, according to a FOX 17 report.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk announced last summer that his office will no longer prosecute minor cannabis possession offenses that involve less than half an ounce of cannabis, and Lamar told WTVF that there should be a statewide standard for how law enforcement deals with cannabis.

“What we want to do is make sure there’s a unified standard across Tennessee where no matter what county you’re in, there’s the same standard around criminalization and having the possession of marijuana,” Lamar told the news outlet.

Elsewhere in the state, Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) has announced plans to introduce a new medical cannabis legalization bill this year after previous attempts stalled in the legislature.