Franklin, TN Cannabis Regulations: Home Cultivation (2026)

Tennessee has not legalized recreational marijuana, and unlike Kentucky, Mississippi, or Virginia, Tennessee has NOT established a commercial medical marijuana program with licensed cultivators or dispensaries. The only legal cannabis-related medical exception is the cannabidiol (CBD) oil carve-out at T.C.A. 39-17-402(16), which excludes from the definition of 'marijuana' a cannabidiol oil containing less than 0.9% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) when the oil is properly labeled and the user has the required out-of-state recommendation and qualifying medical documentation. The carve-out does NOT authorize Tennesseans to grow cannabis at home and does NOT create any in-state dispensary infrastructure. All other cultivation, manufacturing, delivery, sale, or possession with intent to do so is a criminal offense under T.C.A. 39-17-417. The cultivation tiers under T.C.A. 39-17-417 are: 10 plants or fewer = Class E felony (1-6 years imprisonment; up to $5,000 fine); 10 to 19 plants = Class D felony (2-12 years; up to $50,000 fine); 20 to 99 plants = Class D felony with enhanced fines; 100 to 499 plants = Class C felony; 500 or more plants = Class B felony. Hemp-derived cannabinoid (HDC) products (delta-8, delta-9, THCA) are a separate regulatory track: regulatory oversight transferred from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) effective January 1, 2026, and Tennessee's 2024 'hemp-killing' legislation imposed substantially tighter limits on THCA and synthetic cannabinoids. None of the hemp framework authorizes home cultivation of THC-rich marijuana. Franklin and Williamson County have not adopted (and cannot lawfully adopt) any local home-grow allowance, because cannabis cultivation is preempted by Tennessee criminal law.