Officials with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) have released new rules covering the sale of hemp-derived THC products set to take effect December 26, 2024, WKRN reports.

The rules update is aimed at regulating the sale of products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and THCa. The new regulations won’t ban THC products outright but they will change the rules to regard the total THC contents of products when they are burned — which causes decarboxylation and other transformations of the cannabinoids — and not when they are packaged and/or purchased, the report said.

Experts are still debating the expected effects of the rule changes but some business owners will likely be stuck sitting on non-compliant products come December, whether due to their cannabinoid content or packaging.

“The Department’s rules are crafted for operation of our regulatory programs for hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The Department’s authority for these rules and the allowable limit for THC and required testing method for hemp and hemp-derived products are prescribed by the legislature in state statutes. The permanent rules do not change those laws and the rules regulate, not ban, hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including THCa.” — TDA statement, via WKRN

The rules, however, may face legal challenges from hemp operators who stand to lose money on the changes, and a successful lawsuit could block the rules’ implementation in December, the report said.

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