Tennessee Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) has reintroduced a bill this legislative session that would legalize medical cannabis in the state.
The legislation would allow qualified patients to access medical cannabis, and would establish a licensing process for businesses to grow, distribute, transport and sell cannabis for both medical use and scientific research, according to a local WKRN report.
“There are tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans that could benefit from medical cannabis,” Bowling told the news outlet. “This is desperately needed in Tennessee, it is desperately needed by the patient, and doctors need an alternative from opioids.”
Bowling will hold a meeting Jan. 9 to allow law enforcement to weigh in on medical cannabis legalization, WKRN reported.
Bowling introduced similar legislation last year, but the bill ultimately stalled in the legislature.