[[{“value”:”
A Tennessee lawmaker from Cleveland is proposing a bill that would mean jail time for anyone convicted of “selling and distributing hemp-derived cannabinoid products to minors”.
State Representative Dan Howell says House Bill 72, or HB72, calls for a minimum sentence of 48 hours in a county jail or workhouse along with a minimum fine of $500 for a person who is convicted of selling the products, including THC gummies, to anyone under 21.
Under current laws, it’s a Class A misdemeanor to sell, distribute, or help minors get cannabinoid products with no minimum penalty.
Howell says the bill would also prohibit employees, who are under the age of 21, from handling or selling products containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid at businesses.
From July 2023 to June 2024, Howell says more than 200 kids were treated for cannabis poisoning at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.
The CDC warns cannabis use in adolescents can harm the developing brain and that teens who use cannabis have a higher likelihood of dropping out of school, Howell says.
The 114th General Assembly will return to Nashville on January 14, at 12:00pm.
”}]] State Representative Dan Howell says the law calls for a minimum sentence of 48 hours behind bars along with a minimum fine of $500. Read More
