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The 2018 Farm Bill legalized CBD nationwide, but each state, including Tennessee, can set its own rules.
So, is CBD legal in Tennessee? Yes, CBD is legal in Tennessee as long as it complies with state and federal guidelines. However, the state does impose some regulations on how CBD and hemp products, including Delta-9 THC, can be sold.
Understanding Tennessee's CBD laws, age limits, and purchasing rules is essential if you're looking to buy CBD oil or Delta-9 in the state. Find out more about how old you need to be to buy CBD in Tennessee and what products are legal in TN.
Table of Contents
Legal Concerns About CBD
What are the CBD laws in Tennessee?
Is full spectrum CBD legal in Tennessee?
Does Tennessee have a CBD possession limit?
Do you need a prescription for CBD in Tennessee?
Where to buy CBD in Tennessee? Can you buy CBD at 18 in Tennessee? Is CBD legal in all 50 states?
Resources
Disclaimer: We’re always working to stay informed on the latest CBD laws and research. However, state laws are subject to change and we advise that you do your own research to verify the information you find in this article. This is not intended as legal advice.
CBD became federally legal in 2018 under the Hemp Farming Act, which removed industrial hemp and its derivatives from the Controlled Substances Act. However, legal CBD must come from hemp containing less than 0.3% THC.
Even after starting with legal hemp, manufacturers must ensure the final product also contains under 0.3% THC, as extraction can concentrate cannabinoids and increase THC levels. Since the CBD industry lacks strict regulations, it's important to verify third-party lab tests to confirm a product's legality.
Federal guidelines apply, but you must also follow your state's specific CBD regulations.
Tennessee's hemp laws, starting in 2016, legalized hemp with less than 0.3% THC and expanded access to CBD products after the 2018 Farm Bill, with USDA approval in 2020, though safety testing requirements are still absent.
Here are the details:
Tennessee signed SB 2125 into law in 2016, a bill that clarified the difference between hemp and marijuana by amending marijuana legislation in the state. Under the new bill, any cannabis material with less than 0.6% THC is considered hemp.
Later that year, HB 1044 was also signed into law, allowing cannabis material with less than 0.9% THC to be grown, manufactured, and distributed to qualifying patients by approved state universities.
In 2017, Tennessee further updated hemp laws in the state by passing HB 1164. This bill expanded access to hemp providing that it contains less than 0.3% THC, and enabled the state to officially offer their hemp plan to the USDA for approval.
The USDA approved the plan in July of 2020, setting forth a series of regulations that would affect growers and manufacturers. Some requirements include lab testing to verify THC content and specific labeling requirements. Like most other states (see Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska, and West Virginia), there are still no requirements in place for safety testing.
Thanks to Tennessee's reclassification of hemp, CBD and hemp-derived products became legal for all consumers after the 2018 Farm Bill passed into law.
Now, consumers will find cannabis with 0.3% THC or less (made in accordance with federal law) all over the state. There are no restrictions as to the type of CBD products that can be sold, but smokable hemp flower must be sold in a sealed container.
It’s easy to assume that CBD isolate, which contains no THC, is legal in most places. Laws surrounding full spectrum products that contain some amount of THC are not always so clear. Tennessee law allows for CBD products to contain up to 0.3% THC, which means full spectrum CBD products are legal in the state.
Tennessee laws do not define any possession limits for products that meet the legal requirements for hemp. Products with a slightly higher THC content may be available to qualifying patients as part of the state’s medical CBD program, but the possession limits may differ. Products with higher levels of THC are classified as marijuana products, which are illegal in the state.
There is no need for a prescription to access CBD products in Tennessee. In fact, doctors typically cannot “prescribe” CBD products that are sold over the counter, rather they may “recommend” them. Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, access usually requires a doctor’s recommendation, not a prescription.
The exception is for CBD products with more than 0.3% THC but less than 0.9% THC, which require a special recommendation and diagnosis from a Tennessee doctor.
CBD is still new, and only one CBD product has been approved by the FDA to date. This product, GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex, is designed to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy. Aside from this product (which comes with stringent usage guidelines), many doctors are still learning about CBD. If you’re interested in the benefits of CBD, you may need to spark a conversation with your doctor.
Tennessee laws regarding who can sell manufactured hemp products are very loose, and you may find CBD products that meet federal and state regulations in stores all over the state.
However, these loose regulations fail to outline any quality testing requirements. Most testing required by the state only concerns the THC content, and not necessarily quality or purity. For this reason, buying CBD can be risky if you don’t take special precautions.
Buying CBD online is a suitable option for most consumers. When you buy CBD online directly from the brand, you get better oversight of the brand’s manufacturing practices. Looking at the brand’s hemp source and lab testing procedures can help ensure that the CBD products you choose are clean, potent, and meet legal guidelines.
Buying CBD directly from a brand instead of from a third-party market may also be less costly since you won’t have to pay the extra fees that are often tacked on by the middle man. Of course, premium CBD can be expensive to manufacture, so you should also be wary of products that offer low-ball prices.
Finally, buying CBD online may be the best way to access many different types of CBD. The most common type of CBD product is an oil tincture, but you can find a variety of CBD edibles, topicals, and other specialty products when you shop online.
For more information on how to find high-quality CBD products, check out our CBD Buyer’s Guide.
Thanks to federal updates, CBD has the potential to be legal in every U.S. state. CBD is legal in Tennessee, but every state has different regulations regarding the manufacture and sale of CBD. Click here to find out where CBD is legal.
Yes, recreational CBD is legal in Tennessee as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC, in compliance with federal law.
Yes, CBD edibles are legal in Tennessee as long as they meet federal THC limits and are derived from hemp.
CBD became legal in Tennessee after the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp-derived CBD nationwide, and the state adopted this legislation.
CBD is legal in most states, but a few, like Idaho and South Dakota, have stricter regulations that may limit its sale.
While research is still ongoing, many users report that CBD helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety. However, individual results may vary.
Some people find relief from pain using CBD gummies, but effectiveness can depend on the person and the severity of the pain. More research is needed to confirm these benefits.
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