SB 1236

Present law categorizes marijuana and t etrahydrocannabinols , and synthetic equivalents of either, as Schedule VI controlled substances. Present law exempts several cannabis-related pr oducts from the definition of "marijuana, including hemp. This bill specifies that t etrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) and t etrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) are both marijuana, and not hemp, regardless of whether those cannabinoids were extracted from hemp p lants, and makes a product containing either such s ubstance that is knowingly manufactured, produced, sold, or offered for sale subject to seizure and forfeiture . This bill makes a technical clarification to the present law definition of ""hemp"" by specif ying that ""hemp"" refers to the plant species, instead of only the plant, cannabis sativa L. Present law requires the department of agriculture to s ample and analyze products containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid produced, distributed, or offered for sale in Tennessee for cannabinoid concentrations . Present law requires that the testing employ liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, in a manner similarly reliable to post-decarboxylation . This bill instead requires that the department test using p o st-decarboxylation ."