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SB1603 • 2026

Drugs, Prescription

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 9; Title 24; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title 53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to medical cannabis.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Haile, Farmer
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 22, PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on what will happen after TACIR completes its study, leaving this aspect uncertain.

Medical Cannabis Study Act

This bill requires the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to study and report on the operational readiness of state and local governmental entities to support a medical cannabis program.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires TACIR to conduct a study about creating a medical cannabis program.
  • Includes assessing how to implement such a program and if state and local governments are ready for it.
  • Allows TACIR to ask any state department or agency for help with the study.
  • Requires TACIR to report its findings by November 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR)
  • State departments and agencies in Tennessee
  • Members of the Tennessee General Assembly

Terms To Know

Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR)
A group that studies how state and local governments work together.
Medical cannabis program
A system allowing people to use marijuana for medical reasons.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen after the study is completed.
  • It does not provide funding for the study, assuming existing funds can be used.
  • The bill's effects depend on whether TACIR finds that Tennessee is ready to support a medical cannabis program.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1972

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about how Tennessee will handle changes in federal laws regarding marijuana.

  • Adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that says if marijuana is rescheduled or removed from being a controlled substance under federal law, the state's commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services cannot do the same unless the Tennessee General Assembly sets up rules for regulating marijuana.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the federal government changes its laws about marijuana but the Tennessee General Assembly has not yet set up a regulatory framework.
  • It is unclear how this new section will interact with other parts of Tennessee's existing laws on controlled substances.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1603

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about how Tennessee will handle changes in federal laws regarding marijuana.

  • Adds a new subdivision (d)(2) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-17-403, which says that if the federal government changes its classification of marijuana as a controlled substance, Tennessee's commissioner cannot make similar changes without approval from the state’s general assembly.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the federal law changes and the general assembly has not yet established a regulatory framework for marijuana.
  • It is unclear how this new rule will interact with existing Tennessee laws on medical cannabis.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 22, PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0938)

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  9. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  11. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Judiciary Committee

  12. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  13. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  14. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 21, Nays 12

  16. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0768)

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/31/2026

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Health Committee

  19. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  22. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 2 PNV 1

  23. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  24. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  27. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  28. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  29. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  30. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026

  31. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  32. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  33. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  34. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee - Judiciary Committee

  35. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  37. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  38. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1603, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill and provides, instead, that
if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, then the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services
is prohibited from
reschedul
ing
or delet
ing
marijuana under
state law
, unless the general assembly has established a regulatory framework for marijuana and authorized the commissioner to reschedule or delete marijuana as a controlled substance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1972
By Farmer

SENATE BILL 1603
By Haile
SB1603
010875
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 9; Title 24; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39;
Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title
53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71,
relative to medical cannabis.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. The Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations
(TACIR) shall conduct a study on the creation of a medical cannabis program in this state. The
study must include:
(1) The process for implementing a medical cannabis program; and
(2) The operational readiness of state and local governmental entities to support
a medical marijuana program.
SECTION 2. All appropriate state departments and agencies shall provide assistance to
TACIR in connection with the study required in subsection (a) upon the request of the executive
director of TACIR.
SECTION 3. On or before November 1, 2026, TACIR shall report its findings to
members of the general assembly.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.