Support for HB 2525: The "Pot for Potholes Act"

Support for HB 2525: The "Pot for Potholes Act" I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 2525, known as the "Pot for Potholes Act," and to urge you to vote in favor of this common-sense legislation. HB 2525 represents a smart, pragmatic approach to cannabis policy that would benefit all Tennesseans. It would legalize and regulate adult marijuana use, create a licensed commercial market, generate new revenue for critical infrastructure, and address the lasting harms of prohibition—all while preserving workplace safety and employer rights. The benefits of this bill are substantial: 1. Infrastructure Investment: The bill imposes a 15% excise tax on retail marijuana sales, with the majority of revenue directed to the state highway fund. This means new money to repair our roads and bridges—including filling the potholes that plague Tennessee drivers. A smaller share would fund a Cannabis Community Reinvestment Fund to support workforce training, expungement services, and small business development in communities disproportionately impacted by past enforcement. 2. Personal Freedom and Criminal Justice Reform: Adults 21 and older would be permitted to possess up to 60 grams of marijuana and cultivate up to 12 plants at home. The bill also directs the Department of Correction to identify and release individuals incarcerated for marijuana offenses who have no violent or other felony drug convictions. This is a crucial step toward correcting the injustices of prohibition. 3. Sensible Workplace Policies: The bill strikes a responsible balance. It expressly preserves an employer's right to prohibit marijuana use at work, discipline employees who work while impaired, and maintain drug-free workplaces. For safety-sensitive positions, employers may continue to consider marijuana use in hiring decisions. At the same time, it limits adverse actions by public employers based solely on outdated urine tests that detect past use rather than current impairment, encouraging a shift toward more accurate, impairment-focused testing methods. 4. Economic Growth: A regulated market would create new businesses, jobs, and tax revenue here in Tennessee, rather than sending that economic activity to neighboring states or the illegal market. HB 2525 treats cannabis as what it is: a public health and economic issue to be regulated responsibly, not a criminal one to be punished. It funds our infrastructure, respects personal freedom, protects workplace safety, and begins to repair the damage of failed policies. The delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, gives employers, regulators, and communities ample time to prepare. I urge you to support this thoughtful, forward-looking legislation. It is time for Tennessee to join the growing number of states that have chosen regulation and revenue over prohibition and punishment.