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The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission will take over regulation and enforcement of hemp from the state’s Department of Agriculture beginning in 2026. With the change come months of planning and training for new procedures to enforce the state’s new hemp restrictions.
The commission is hiring 28 new staff positions to meet the needs of the new regulatory responsibilities in what spokesperson Aaron Rummage describes as a “major initiative of the commission.”
“Only a few of these 28 new hires will work exclusively on hemp regulation,” Rummage tells the Scene. “However, across the agency, many current and incoming staff — both in enforcement and licensing — are being trained to serve as hemp subject matter leads within their respective teams.”
Among the new positions will be roles such as field agents, licensing personnel, legal support and scientific advising, with Rummage telling the Scene that “enforcement of hemp-derived cannabinoid product (HDCP) regulations begins with a comprehensive licensing framework.”
“The TABC is intentionally integrating hemp regulation into its existing operational framework, because this approach is more efficient and better aligned with how the industry operates,” he says.
“Many businesses that sell hemp-derived products also hold alcoholic beverage licenses. By equipping staff to handle both regulatory areas, the TABC can conduct joint inspections and coordinated licensing reviews — allowing, for example, one agent to evaluate compliance for both alcohol and hemp in a single visit. This reduces duplication of effort and minimizes the regulatory burden on licensees.”
Rummage says the commission began planning for the law change “as soon as the legislative proposal was filed,” and now the TABC is focused on hiring and training new staff, launching applications for licenses, and working to “educate stakeholders on compliance expectations” and to “finalize and implement detailed rules governing product safety.” The commission is also coordinating with the other state agencies to complete the transition ahead of the new year.
“In many respects, regulating hemp-derived cannabinoid products is similar to regulating alcoholic beverages,” Rummage says. “These are intoxicating substances, and Tennessee has enacted comparable safeguards to protect public health and safety — such as requirements for age verification, product labeling and prohibitions on sales to minors.
“At the same time, hemp products present new challenges,” says Rummage, noting changing state and federal laws around hemp and the variety of hemp/THC products of varying potencies.
“That complexity is new not just for the TABC, but for regulators across the country,” Rummage says, detailing how commission staff is “undergoing extensive training on hemp-derived cannabinoids, including their chemistry, manufacturing processes, and potential health impacts.”
On June 11, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission released new information about the upcoming law changes and published a FAQ page on the tn.gov site.
Hemp suppliers are required to have each batch of product tested by a state-approved laboratory, and the test results will be accessible through a QR code on all packaging. The commission will also conduct routine inspections, unannounced compliance checks and undercover operations.
Unlicensed manufacturing, distribution or retail sale is a class-A misdemeanor and could lead to the seizure of products. Selling hemp/THC products to minors is also a class-A misdemeanor that will carry a mandatory 48 hours of jail time.
Licensed businesses that violate non-criminal state rules — such as not keeping hemp products out of the reach of customers (in businesses that are not restricted to customers 21 and up) or improper labeling — could face fines of $1,000 to $5,000 or have their licenses suspended or revoked. TABC agents have the legal authority to make arrests and consult with local district attorneys who may present criminal charges to grand juries.
In 2020, Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk announced that his office would no longer prosecute cases of minor possession of marijuana in Davidson County. A spokesperson for Funk’s office says the “policy on marijuana prosecution has not changed.”
Hemp products have long been misunderstood and targeted by Tennessee law enforcement. A prime example of this occurred in 2018, when the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office — along with the police departments in Murfreesboro, Smyrna and LaVergne — raided 23 stores and indicted 21 people for selling what law enforcement claimed were illegal edible hemp products as part of “Operation Candy Crush.” The products were mainly edibles containing CBD — a legal hemp-derived cannabinoid that does not have psychotropic effects.
At the time, Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh claimed law enforcement believed that the products were being marketed to children by the stores. “Operation Candy Crush” resulted in a $1.3 million settlement in 2021, and a $10 million federal lawsuit from one former store owner who refused to accept the settlement. In 2024, a federal court jury found that law enforcement officials weren’t liable to that store owner.
The Scene also reached out to District Attorney Jennings Jones, whose district includes Rutherford County and who took part in the 2018 operation and its ensuing press conference, for comment on how his office would investigate and prosecute hemp cases going forward. We did not receive a response. District Attorney Stacey Edmonson, whose district covers Williamson County, tells the Scene that her office will continue to enforce local laws and prosecute crimes.
It remains unclear how much of a priority any violations of new regulations will be for prosecutors across the state.
”}]] Talking to the commission’s Aaron Rummage about the regulation and enforcement of new hemp laws Read More
