Hey!

In case you haven't heard, the Department of Agriculture just sent out the following message regarding their rollout of the rules and hemp licensing requirements:

Message from Dept. of Agriculture

The department will have a licensing program in place on July 1, 2024 for retailers and suppliers of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Licensing information, including the digital application form, will be available here starting July 1.

From July 1 until September 30, 2024, we will issue licenses and conduct outreach to businesses to provide education about requirements.

We will begin enforcement of license requirements on October 1, 2024.

Please join us on July 15 at 10 a.m. (Central) for a webinar. Program leaders will provide information about the licensing process and other statutory requirements, including prevention of youth access and proper labelling of products.

Registration is required to participate in the webinar. You can sign up here.

The Department of Agriculture is committed to practical implementation of the program in service to consumers and industry. We look forward to providing education and outreach about the new state law requirements for retailers and suppliers of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the hemp program team at (615) 837-5070.

Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M.

Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture

Next Steps

We expect the Department will issue the rest of the new rules along with the licensing program on Monday, July 1. Once they do, there will be lots to unpack, and we expect many folks in the industry to feel a bit overwhelmed. 

But you don't have to face this evolving legal landscape alone.

To help hemp companies comply with the new rules and licensing requirements, we have created a new and improved Hemp Law Group—a collaboration between Alex Little and Zack Lawson of Litson PLLC and Joey Fuson.

In short, we want to help hemp companies navigate and comply with the upcoming regulatory changes. To that end, we have established a Compliance Program. This program is designed to offer comprehensive regulatory and compliance services tailored specifically for hemp businesses operating in Tennessee.

More specifically, our Compliance Program offers a complete suite of services for an single monthly fee that includes:

• Licensing: We will identify which licenses you need and assist you in filing the appropriate license applications and renewals. This representation includes corresponding with the Department of Agriculture on your behalf as necessary throughout the licensing and renewal process, advising you on any issues that might arise, and defending you against the Department if it seeks to deny your license or refuses to renew it.

• Regulatory Advice: We will provide you with answers to your general regulatory questions (generally within one business day) and provide you with 24/7 access to other resources that will allow you to answer most of your questions immediately.

• Templates and Best Practices: We will provide you with access to templates for use in your business related to hemp best practices, including draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling hemp flower and communicating with suppliers and customers. These SOPs and templates are only provided to clients.

• Confidential Product Testing: We will provide you with access to our internal hemp testing services, which will be coordinated by attorneys and protected by attorney-client privilege. Although there will be a separate fee for each test, and the tests are subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis, this representation will include providing test results to you, through counsel, and providing legal advice related to them. Our testing program uses an Orange Photonics LightLab 3 portable testing device, which can test both hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, and we will not disclose any of the test results without your consent.

• Initial Defense of Regulatory Actions: We will represent you at the initial stages in response to any regulatory action threatened or brought by the Department related to the manufacture, distribution, or sale of hemp or hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

• Initial Defense of Civil Asset Forfeiture Actions: We will represent you at the initial stages in response to any civil asset forfeiture actions brought against you by law enforcement related to the possession or sale of hemp or hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

• Legal Updates: Finally, this representation also includes access to our client newsletter, through which we provide clients with up-to-date information and updates about legislative and regulatory developments affecting hemp, as well as real-time updates about enforcement activity by the Department and law enforcement agencies (such as the TBI and local drug task force offices).

Our Compliance Program is structured to provide these services on a flat monthly-fee basis, ensuring that you receive consistent, high-quality legal support without unexpected costs. 

If you are interested in this service, please complete the online information form here:

Learn More

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Best,

Zack, Joey, and Alex

Hemp Law Group

Questions about this email? Contact:

Alex Little

Litson PLLC

(615) 985-8205

alex@litson.co