Tennessee has not legalized medical or recreational cannabis. Knoxville cannot license cannabis dispensaries. Only narrowly licensed hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers operating under the 2014 Hemp Act may sell products legally in the city.
Tennessee is one of the few remaining states with no medical or adult-use cannabis program. Possession of marijuana remains a state criminal offense under TCA 39-17-418. Knoxville cannot zone for or license cannabis dispensaries because they cannot lawfully exist. The narrow exception is industrial hemp under the Tennessee Hemp Act of 2014 and the 2018 federal Farm Bill, allowing retail sale of hemp-derived products including CBD and certain THCa or delta-8 products. The 2023 Tennessee Public Chapter 423 added registration, age 21 minimums, and labeling requirements for hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers, enforced by the Department of Agriculture.
Operating a marijuana dispensary in Knoxville is a felony under state law. Hemp retailers without state registration face civil penalties, product seizure, and license revocation under PC 423.
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See how Knoxville's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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