Fraudulent Email Claimed Tennessee Lifted Hemp THCA Restrictions

An email that appeared to have been sent Saturday by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission claiming to lift all restrictions on THCA and other hemp-derived cannabinoid products was fraudulent, WKRN reports. The email told retailers that shops were allowed to resume sales of all hemp-derived cannabinoids, including flower, edibles, beverages, and inhalable products, claimed to have authorized the retail sale of kratom products and said that routine inspections were no longer mandatory.

Hours after the email was sent, Tennessee Healthy Alternatives Association officials said the agency had been “hacked,” but the commission has not yet determined how the email was sent out.

“Dear Licensee,

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission has learned that a fraudulent email was distributed today that falsely appeared to come from TABC.

The message falsely claimed that restrictions on hemp-derived cannabinoid products had been lifted, kratom products were authorized for sale, inspections were optional, and TABC licensing accounts had been deleted. None of those statements is true.

Please disregard the fraudulent message. Do not click any links, reply to it, or rely on its contents.

TABC’s laws, rules, licensing requirements, product restrictions, inspection requirements, and enforcement practices remain in effect. We apologize for any confusion and appreciate your attention to this matter.” — Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, in an email to retailers

Tennessee lawmakers earlier this year approved regulations drafted by TABC that created a tiered licensing system, strict packaging and dosage caps, and mandatory product testing. The state also adopted new rules around THCA, which took effect in July.