Cannabis in Tennessee

Marijuana is illegal in Tennessee for every purpose. There is no medical program, no decriminalization and no legal adult market. Simple possession of half an ounce or less is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, and a 2016 state law stops cities such as Nashville and Memphis from replacing that with a local citation. Bills in the 2026 session to cut the penalty, legalize home grow or create a regulated market all died.

What Tennesseans actually see on shelves is hemp. Public Chapter 526 (House Bill 1376), signed on May 21, 2025, moved regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission and set up supplier, wholesaler and retailer licenses ($2,500, $5,000 and $1,000 a year). Buyers must be 21 and show ID every time, sales must be face to face, and delivery, shipping and vending machines are out. Ingestible products are capped at 25 mg of THC per serving and beverages at 250 mg per container, according to a summary by Tennessee Cannabis; the state defines total THC as delta-9 plus 87.7 percent of THCA and bars THCP and synthetic cannabinoids.

The switch was delayed by six months. Businesses licensed by the Department of Agriculture before the end of 2025 could keep selling under the old rules until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2026, which is why some convenience stores stocked THCA flower into mid-year. From July 1, 2026 every seller needs an ABC license, THCA products above 0.3 percent total THC are non-compliant, and grocery and convenience stores lose the right to sell them. Kratom also became illegal that day, and a 10 percent wholesale tax on inhalable hemp cartridges was set to start.

Federal law adds a second deadline: cannabinoids the plant cannot make naturally lose hemp status on November 12, 2026, and most remaining hemp THC products on December 11, 2026. Check any hemp seller's ABC license before you buy, and never bring cannabis home from Kentucky, Virginia or North Carolina.