Losing a child is the worst nightmare any parent could imagine, a nightmare that is much harder to bear when you know that there may have been something you could have done to prevent such an awful tragedy. As unimaginable as this scenario is for most parents, preventable deaths are happening at an alarming rate as politicians argue about whether or not marijuana is medicine (we did some checking, it is). At this crucial time in history, a moment when the science on medical marijuana has become crystal clear, our government leaders can no longer afford to move slowly on reform measures. The lives of our children depend on this.

"We're very, very happy that we can get started and see some improvements and get the nasty medicines behind us," Josie's mother, Stacie Mathes, said Monday afternoon.

The Matheses started giving Josie the cannabis oil as soon as they got the word the bill was signed. There's no guarantee it works, and even if it does it will take time. But the new law provides hope.

"As parents, you want some miracles. And you know in some cases it will stop seizures pretty quick," Stacie Mathes said.

"We're hopeful that we can get them under control. ... We're happy with that."

The new law allows patients who suffer from seizures or epilepsy and received a recommendation from a doctor to use cannabis oil. The law takes effect immediately.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has received word from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that its registration to import hemp seed has been approved.

This follows months of discussion between the two agencies about Tennessee’s industrial hemp pilot program that have farmers unsure they’ll get the hemp seed in time to plant a crop. The good news is no additional restrictions have been set on the program regarding acreage or number of participants, said Corinne Gould, a state spokeswoman.

Tennessee’s initial applications totaled more than 2,100 acres by 53 growers, far exceeding those from nearby states like Kentucky that have launched similar programs.

More regulatory approvals are still needed.

Nashvillian Scott Denholm is executive director of Metrc, a tech business that tracks every cannabis plant in Colorado from seed to sale. With more states considering legalization, the growth opportunities are vast.

For years, Nashvillian Scott Denholm has tracked the travel and sale of fruits and vegetables, packages of pharmaceuticals, even the parts of race cars. Now he is focused on tracking a plant that has captured the attention of millions of Americans: cannabis.

The Senate health committee decided to delay action on a GOP-backed medical marijuana bill for Tennessee.

A Republican-backed effort to legalize marijuana for limited medicinal purposes in Tennessee is officially dead for the year.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee decided to delay action on the proposal from Nashville GOP Sen. Steve Dickerson until 2016.

Chairman Rusty Crowe said there wasn't enough time to fully discuss the pros and cons of the bill. He said he'd create a summer study commission to look at the bill.

Dickerson didn't seem happy with the decision, but said he deferred to Crowe's opinion.

"I believe this is a conservative bill; it's equally based in compassion and science," Dickerson, an anesthesiologist, told the committee.

Sporting a pale pink helmet and flanked by her faithful German shepherd, 5-year-old Cora Vowell looks ready to hop on a tricycle, or maybe go barreling headfirst into a backyard football game.

But Cora cannot ride her bike or play sports.The helmet is part of her everyday outfit, protecting her head against the nine to 12 seizures that batter her body each day. Her German shepherd, Hulk, is a therapy dog, trained to alert Cora's parents when the seizures start.

Brought on by an accident more than a year ago, those seizures are a constant in the family's life — so frequent that her mother, Melissa Vowell, doesn't even break conversation as she swiftly reacts to one of her daughter's brief episodes, holding her close until it passes.

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -

A marijuana decriminalization bill passed out of a House committee on Wednesday.

Some Tennessee lawmakers hope the bill will make a big difference when it comes to issuing jail time and fines for those possessing small amounts of marijuana.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Harold Love, D-Nashville, must now pass a Senate committee.

As the law stands now, anyone who is in possession of a half-ounce up to 10 pounds of marijuana faces the same crime.

The new bill would increase the possession amount to a minimum of one ounce. Instead of a felony, the crime would be a misdemeanor with a $100 fine for each violation.

Many advocates were ready to support – until they found out what’s in it

In Jan. 2014, Bernie Ellis takes questions during a “lobby day” at the state legislature after briefing supporters who came find out what they could do to help get medical marijuana legalized in Tennessee.(Photo: Larry McCormack / THE TENNESSEAN)

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – They didn’t have to pass it to find out what’s in it, but some advocates of medical marijuana were wondering if passing the Republican version was worth the wait after the legislation made it to the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Leaf-Chronicle received a PDF copy of the legislation early Tuesday morning.

The use of LEDs to provide specific light wavelengths could allow growers to increase nutritional values of edible crops, enhance the intensity of foliage and flower color and improve the postharvest longevity of ornamental and edible crops.
 

Improvement in the light intensity delivered by light emitting diodes (LEDs) is helping to expand their use for the production of both edible and ornamental crops. Research with LEDs has been going on for about 30 years. Only within the last 10 years have increases in the light intensities of LEDs allowed researchers to study the direct effects of narrow wave bands of light on plant physiology.

Recent polling by Middle Tennessee State and Vanderbilt Universities indicate three of four Tennesseans support legalization in some form

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Even as three U.S. Senators, including Kentucky's Rand Paul, offered up a bill in Washington to protect patients, doctors and businesses from federal prosecution in states with active medical marijuana laws, the pace of legislation in Tennessee has remained cautious.

On Tuesday, Rep. Jeremy Faison's (R-Cosby) bill to legalize cannabis oil for medical purposes passed through the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, but not without needing an amendment requiring a doctor's letter for patients requesting the treatment.