Rachel Schaffer Lawson, Author at Legal Edge Blog

December 3, 2025

TABC Tightens Rules on Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Products, COAs, and Retail Sales

Tennessee’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has moved decisively into the hemp space. Emergency rules adopted in September 2025 now require mandatory age verification and prohibit sales of Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Products (HDCP’s) to anyone under 21. Beginning January 1, 2026, TABC will also roll out a three-tier licensing system for hemp-derived cannabinoid products (suppliers, wholesalers, retailers), …

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July 29, 2025July 29, 2025

Tennessee Update: TABC to Honor Existing Agriculture Licenses for Hemp-Derived Products

We are pleased to provide an update to our recent Client Alert regarding Tennessee’s new law transferring oversight of hemp-derived cannabinoid products (HDCPs) from the Department of Agriculture to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), effective January 1, 2026. TABC has announced that it will honor existing Department of Agriculture licenses for manufacturers and applicable …

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November 14, 2022October 26, 2023

TTB Issues Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: The Next Step of Executive Order 14036

On November 9, 2022, the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the next step in the process requested by President Biden under Executive Order 14036 (“Promoting Competition in the American Economy”). The TTB seeks public comment on trade practice regulations, “tied house” laws, and more. President Biden issued …

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October 13, 2022October 24, 2023

Branded Alcohol to Chase my Blues Away

Alcohol and music, like peanut butter and jelly, just go together. And, the potential income that alcohol generates is nearly unlimited because alcohol is often marked up substantially – sales of alcoholic beverages at live music events can account for 80-90% of the venue’s revenue! Unfortunately, the artist does not enjoy any of the alcohol …

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September 22, 2022October 24, 2023

Road Booze: When and How Food Trucks Can Serve Alcohol in Tennessee

Food trucks have become dining destinations in most major cities, including Nashville. However, in Tennessee, food trucks are not permitted to serve alcohol at the same times and places they are permitted to serve food. Below is a guide for all mobile food vendors describing when, where and how they are permitted to serve alcohol, …

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September 8, 2022October 25, 2023

Starting and Running a Food Truck Business

Introduction It seems anywhere you go in Nashville these days you will happen across a food truck or two loitering at a local business or parked downtown. Indeed, almost any local Nashville event has a gaggle of mobile food options as the primary food provider. You may wonder why this option is so popular among …

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August 25, 2022October 25, 2023

BYOB like a B-O-S-S

Did you know you can bring your own booze to dinner or an event in Nashville? While it may sound as easy as packing a cooler for Live on the Green, bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant, or having a cold one in hand while tailgate-hopping, there’s more to it than you might …

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