Tennessee To See Cannabis Lobbying & Conversations Light Up In 2026

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

Going into the 2026 legislative session, Tennesseans can expect to see an increase in lobbying with the goal of easing cannabis restrictions across the state, according to recent reports. 

Legal cannabis usage continues to become more normalized in certain areas of the country as more and more states legalize the product under varying levels of regulations. 

The particularly controversial plant industry faces a less than permissive environment in some states like Tennessee where state law on the issue remains quite restrictive. 

Still, Gold Spectrum, a Tennessee-based company that processes and sells THC products to wholesalers in over 40 states has already employed approximately 250 individuals and as of last month were still looking to hire about 100 more in order to meet customer demand. 

On July 22^nd, the company hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 85-year-old former school building that is now their facility.

“300 jobs is a big deal and we’re happy that we can provide jobs that are good-paying jobs with good benefits in a location that’s a nice place to work,” Gold Spectrum Public Relations Officer Neal Osborne told News Channel 11. “We’re providing a good environment with good pay for folks. That’s very exciting.”

The founder of Gold Spectrum, Zack Green, purchased the former Holston Valley Middle School building in April of this year to get his employees out of a “hot” and “cramped” building in Gray, Tennessee.

Green’s purchase of the new facility came shortly after the passage of HB1376/SB1413, which put regulation of the industry in the hands of the Alcohol and Beverage Commission instead of the Department of Agriculture and further regulated the manufacture and sale of TCH-A hemp products in the state.

When Tennessee lawmakers first passed the legislation, Green told News Channel 11 that, “This bill will completely destroy the lives of all of our employees.”

The new law is set to go into effect on January 1^st, 2026, strictly limiting the permissible potency levels of hemp-derived THC products to less than 0.3% THC.

Osborne stated that Gold Spectrum and other companies on the retail side of the industry expect the legislative change to drastically limit the types of products that can be sold by Tennessee retailers, leading to many being driven out of business.

“You lose any type of profitability because the margin gets so low if you’re making a very limited number of products,” said Osborne.

Despite worries about the impact of this new legislation, Osborne stated that a couple of different factors prompted Green’s recent decision to purchase a new building and move forward in growing Gold Spectrum as a company.

According to Osborne, the majority of Gold Spectrum products are made from hemp grown on the West Cast and that the company makes a large percentage of sales online or through shipping to wholesalers in other states.

So the company expects sales to remain intact despite added restrictions on the industry here in Tennessee. 

“We have a team of folks that we’re working with to determine what the impact would be as far as wholesale, but production will still carry on here,” said Osborne.

Additionally, Osborne mentioned that Green believes cannabis entrepreneurs and advocates will be able to lobby and convince state lawmakers to keep regulations from effectively “killing” the retail side in Tennessee due to the cannabis industry bringing in over $500 million per year in revenue to the state.

The company believes the industry has been making notable headway way with some state lawmakers on the issue, specifically with some who have agreed to visit existing facilities and retail stores.

“We’ve had discussions with several local legislators who have said, ‘you know, this is nothing like I thought it was,’” said Osborne. “They were expecting Cheech and Chong sitting in a Volkswagen van and this is a production facility. This is people who are clocking into a time card every day and producing a product just like it would be any other type of facility.”

“The more sunshine, the better,” he continued. “It’s not a mysterious product. You can see what we’re doing here. It’s always an education process to understand what this is.”

According to Green, the company is currently working with a lobbying group called the Tennessee Healthy Alternative Association. 

“We’re confident that we can sway some minds in the legislature,” he said, “but that’s an ongoing process, and that’s something that we will have to work on when the session comes back the first of the year.”

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.  You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.