06/26/2026
In 2023, State Senator Richard Briggs sponsored and passed Senate Bill 378 regarding the legalization of h**p in Tennessee. Page 2 of Senate Bill 378, part B (vii) explicitly identifies THCa as a legal H**p Derived Cannabinoid to be sold and taxed at 6% in the State of Tennessee to persons age 21+. Without any explanation, Briggs completely reversed his position in 2025 and passed House Bill 1376 which completely bans THCa in Tennessee. Additionally, House Bill 1376 implements a three tier manufacturer-distributor-retailer system that requires $750,000 in capital just to apply to be a distributor. House Bill 1376 not only eliminates small businesses from participating in a fair market, it hands over all power of h**p distribution to alcohol distributors and oversight of h**p sales to TABC. To date, Briggs has never indicated why he did a complete 180 on THCa and pulled the rug out from under Tennessee’s billion-dollar h**p industry. During his anti-h**p campaign, Briggs has repeated the total falsehood that licensed h**p retailers were involved in illegal activity when, in fact, these small businesses were simply following the law that HE PUT INTO PLACE in 2023. Briggs is a liar and an absolute disgrace as a representative of the public. He should not be trusted by any voter in Tennessee or anywhere else for that matter.
