Tennessee Public Chapter 423 of 2023 created licensing for hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers but does not impose statewide school buffers. Knoxville zoning treats them as general retail, with placement governed by underlying district rules.
Tennessee licenses hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers through the Department of Agriculture under PC 423 of 2023, requiring registration, age verification, child-resistant packaging, and lab testing for THC content. The state did not impose statewide buffers from schools, parks, or daycares, leaving siting to local zoning. Knoxville treats hemp retailers as general retail under Recode Knoxville, allowed in commercial and mixed-use districts. Smoke shops separately fall under Knoxville Chapter 8 business licensing. Some council members have proposed local buffers, but none have been adopted. Federal law still bans synthetic cannabinoid analogs not derived from hemp.
Selling hemp cannabinoids to minors, exceeding the 0.3 percent delta-9 THC limit, or operating without state registration can lead to permit revocation, product seizure, and civil penalties.
Knoxville, TN
Tennessee has not legalized medical or recreational cannabis. Knoxville cannot license cannabis dispensaries. Only narrowly licensed hemp-derived cannabinoid...
Knoxville, TN
Smoke and vape shops in Knoxville need a city business license, state tobacco license, and must follow zoning rules limiting locations near schools and parks...
See how Knoxville's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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