Tennessee is one of the last states in the U.S. still holding on to outdated prohibition laws. Many politicians in neighboring states are finally realizing what the public has known for years: legalizing cannabis can positively support economies, communities and people. Tennesseans are ready to free the plant. Just ask them.

For the last five years, cannabis-friendly states have proven a solid track record for creating jobs, increasing substantial tax revenue, providing relief for those with serious health issues and even reworking old, outdated laws.

Why does every bill that serves all Tennesseans get defeated?

This is a question I think you should be asking your representatives.

Recent polling shows the majority of the state supports some sort of legalization or decriminalization. Most Tennesseans have had their own interaction with the plant due to the legal hemp program in the state. CBD products are now common in many homes.

The word cannabis encompasses both hemp and marijuana, the latter being a slang term assigned to cannabis in the early 1900s. The only difference is the Delta 9 THC content.

If you were to look at the plants side by side, you couldn’t tell them apart. The simple difference comes down to one tiny ingredient found inside it. That’s it. Why are lawmakers making this such a big deal?

Today we know the pros far outweigh the cons, and we can now look to neighboring states for proof. The data is out for those who care to look.

Many pro-cannabis senators on both sides of party lines are working with the White House to get President Biden on board.

Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey recently stated, “now that a discussion draft of our legislation has been released, we will start having conversations with the White House to get them behind our proposal.” We may see federal legalization before Tennessee figures it out.

Free the plant. What does that mean?

If Tennessee chooses to free the plant, we can now open up medical research in the public and private sectors. It really gives us a chance to understand how to use it and how to dose it properly.

One of the biggest misconceptions of the plant comes from the act of smoking it. If a consumer smokes cannabis, whether that is hemp or marijuana, the effects felt are nearly instantaneous. It’s the fastest way to get relief. But it gets a bad rap.

Technology and innovation have paved a new path for more medicinal approaches to the plant. Volunteer Botanicals has technology that turns oils into powders and water-based ingredients for more precise, consumer-friendly products.

“If a consumer needs two milligrams of Delta 9 THC, we could build that into a discreet mini-tablet,” explains Derek Odette, CEO of Volunteer Botanicals. “When we free the plant, we remove unneeded restrictions in the development of new products, new industries, new research and ultimately new, safer approaches to medicine. Everyone is getting tired of large pharmaceutical companies and the fallout of legal, addictive drugs like opioids. We all want a more natural approach to healing.”

If we do things the same way, we will always get what we have always had.

Every day we are hearing stories from cannabis-friendly states that prove the plant is helping. Veterans are getting relief from pain and PTSD. Children with seizures are finding incredibly positive results. Even animals have systems in their bodies that respond well to the plant.

When we free the plant, we open up to new perspectives. The truth is what we all seek. With so much misinformation floating around these days, the only way to find truth is through your own personal discovery.

So why is Tennessee one of the last states to make a move toward legalizing cannabis?

It’s time to let your representatives know. Call them. Email them. Call them again. Voice your concerns and passions on social media outlets and tag them.

Real change happens from the bottom up, not the top down.

Free the plant. She has so much to teach us.