Haslam hints he'll sign cannabis oil bill
Nothing is official yet, but Gov. Bill Haslam recently hinted he'll sign a bill that would allow the limited use of cannabis oil for medicinal purposes.
Haslam wouldn't definitely say what he'll do with the bill, but pointed out the administration hasn't lodged any complaints about the legislation all session.
"We've been kind of deferred to the will of the legislature on that. We haven't registered any objections," Haslam told The Tennessean last week.
"Like everything else I want to wait until it gets to us, but it's worthy of note that we haven't had an issue with it the whole time."
Both chambers in the General Assembly have approved the bill, championed by Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby. The Senate officially approved House changes to the bill this week, so that people suffering from seizures or epilepsy could be eligible to use cannabis oil at the recommendation of a doctor.
The measure comes a year after Haslam signed a pilot project that allowed study of limited usage of cannabis oil. But advocates returned to the statehouse this year, asking for lawmakers to approve the broader use of the oil for seizures.
Several supporters brought children who suffer from many seizures a day to legislative hearings. There is some medical evidence that cannabis oil and other forms of medical marijuana may provide relief to some patients who suffer from seizures or epilepsy.
The cannabis oil bill is different than a broader medical marijuana push carried by Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, and Rep. Ryan Williams, R- . Their bill would've allowed people to use oils, creams or inhalers if they suffered from an array of specific conditions, like multiple sclerosis and various stages of cancer. Unlike the cannabis oil bill, it also created a framework for the growing, processing and distribution of medical marijuana in Tennessee.
The cannabis oil bill at Haslam's desk now doesn't allow Tennesseans to grow marijuana or process it to create cannabis oil. Instead, it says people in Tennessee may go to other states where the oil is already legal and bring it to Tennessee if they have a legal order or recommendation from a doctor.
Varying forms of medical marijuana are legal in 23 states and Washington, D.C., according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization advocacy group.
Lawmakers opted to study the Dickerson-Williams bill over the summer.
If signed by Haslam, the cannabis oil bill would go into effect immediately.
Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.