This story is an installment in The Tennessean's Q&A series On the Issues, where we asked the leading gubernatorial candidates to weigh in on some of the most pressing issues Tennessee’s next governor will face.
Tennessee is one of 10 states that have not legalized medical cannabis. According to polls, 81% of Tennesseans support legalizing medical marijuana. 63% support legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
State lawmakers this fall met to discuss legislation that would implement recommendations of Tennessee’s Medical Cannabis Commission.
We got responses from all four candidates polling over 1%: Republican nominee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Democratic nominee Jerri Green, independent candidate David Hatley and independent candidate Lauren
Pinkston.
Here’s what each candidate says about the future of cannabis in Tennessee.
Do you support medical marijuana legalization? If so, would legalization be a priority for you as governor? If not, why not?
BLACKBURN: As governor, I will review medical and clinical research on medical marijuana as it comes out, but I remain concerned about the potential for misuse of this substance.
GREEN: Yes. While neighboring states progress, Tennessee is moving backward by maintaining a cannabis ban that fuels mass incarceration and disproportionately criminalizes Black and brown people for nonviolent offenses. We must end this systemic injustice and put those tax dollars to work for our communities. Far too many politicians in Tennessee cave to Big Pharma and the alcohol lobby, despite all the potential benefits to people and our tax base. Most importantly, medical cannabis provides a critical, non-addictive alternative for individuals and seniors suffering from chronic pain, giving patients real treatment options instead of forcing them onto dangerous opioids. Finally, this is a way to support farmers as federal policies are effectively killing generational farms.
HATLEY: Yes, and it will be a priority. Forty-one states allow medical cannabis. Tennessee is not one of them. Many veterans living with chronic pain, PTSD and traumatic brain injuries say it gives them relief with less reliance on opioids. They should not have to leave Tennessee, or break its laws, to get it. The federal government moved state-regulated medical cannabis products to Schedule III in April 2026, and the U.S. House has voted to let VA doctors recommend it to veterans. Tennessee went the other way and added more red tape. I will make a comprehensive, state-regulated medical cannabis program a priority of my 2027 legislative agenda, with physician oversight, a patient registry, and testing and labeling standards. I will work with lawmakers of both parties to get it through the legislature, and I will sign it. As an independent, I am not bound by the party politics that have kept this bill stuck year after year.
PINKSTON: Yes, I support legalizing medical cannabis, and it would be a priority in my first legislative session. I've heard from veterans, cancer patients and people living with chronic pain who are forced to choose between breaking the law and leaving Tennessee to get relief. Tennesseans should not be reliant on prescribed opioids when a safer option exists. In a state where fentanyl and opioid deaths are devastating families, that makes no sense. Eighty-one percent of Tennesseans support medical cannabis, and the state's own Medical Cannabis Commission has already done the work of recommending how to do it. Seven of Tennessee's eight neighboring states already have medical cannabis programs. Tennesseans are driving across state lines for treatment, and those states are collecting the tax revenue we're missing out on. With federal rescheduling underway, we've run out of reasons to wait. I'd work with the General Assembly to pass a program with clear rules for doctors, patients and dispensaries, strong consumer protections, and a real opportunity for Tennessee farmers to grow it.
Do you support legalization of recreational cannabis? If so, would legalization be a priority for you as governor? If not, why not?
BLACKBURN: Recreational marijuana has no place in Tennessee. Due to its addictive nature and other troubling effects, it would be completely irresponsible to legalize it.
GREEN: Yes. See above.
HATLEY: I don’t believe that should be the decision of the governor. I would however be in favor of putting this on the ballot for Tennesseans to vote yes or no.
PINKSTON: On recreational use, I want to get a medical program right first and let the evidence guide what comes next. My priority is getting medical cannabis right for the veterans, cancer patients and people living with chronic pain who need it today. I am more interested in decriminalizing than legalizing at this moment, and here’s why: Recreational marijuana is much safer than other drugs sold on Tennessee streets. If we take away the income from sellers and put all forms of cannabis in stores, we open up a vacuum for more dangerous drugs to fill that gap. I know a majority of Tennesseans support recreational legalization, and I take that seriously. The responsible path is to build a well-regulated medical system first, with clear rules, consumer protections and real data on how it's working. Good policy should follow the evidence, not get ahead of it.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: On the Issues: Will TN's next governor legalize marijuana?
