Thursday, February 27, 2020

Legal marijuana
Medical marijuana has failed every year in Tennessee, but a state lawmaker wants to push even wider legislation.... by legalizing its recreational use. Nonprofits in Nashville are showing their support. Senator Raumesh Akbari has filed the bill to legalize recreational cannabis and now a Nashville-based nonprofit, Free Hearts, has created a petition this month asking for signatures in support of the bill. Executive Director Dawn Harrington said her group created the petition after a statewide survey. “We asked regular Tennesseans what is something they would like to see changed, many Tennesseans said they want to legalize marijuana.” Senator Akbari said in Tennessee alone, “we’re reaching 1.1 billion dollars in incarceration costs, you have folks going to jail for nonviolent, low-level offenses that are legal in 33 other states in some capacity.” Under the legisaltion, licensed businesses could sell less than half an ounce of marijuana to people 21 and over, and sales would come with a 12% tax with revenue going to education, infrastructure, and the state general fund. “We could use the funding, “ argues the senator. “People are already participating in these activities, so why not regulate it, tax it and use it to support infrastructure?” Akbari understands that medical marijuana has yet to pass in the state, saying that her bill is more about starting a conversation. “I don’t think this is something that is going to pass this year but it’ll at least get us talking in the right direction.” Senator Akbari has also filed bills to decriminalize carrying up to an ounce of marijuana.


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