By Helene Norris


The southeastern state of Tennessee was the 16th state to enter into the union on June 17, 1796. It wobbled in and out during the Civil War and was the first state to be readmitted when the war was over. Politically speaking, the state can be described as conservative. This is illustrated by the fact that in only four of the last 14 presidential elections did the Democratic candidate carry the state. For this reason, it is somewhat remarkable that one of the state's congressmen would support Tennessee marijuana legalization.

Democratic Representative Steve Cohen was one of the original sponsors of the "Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013." While this bill will not legalize the use of cannabis outright, it will prohibit the federal government from interfering with the states' own decisions about this subject. It paves the way for states to write their own laws to decriminalize and ultimately legalize the drug.

While the state capital is the city of Nashville, which is also regarded by many as the music capital of the world, it is Memphis, with a slightly larger population, that is the state's largest city. Tennessee is surrounded by eight other states. In no particular order, these are Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia.

While the major metropolitan areas of the state are somewhat densely populated, most of the rest of the state's footprint is occupied by lush, green countryside. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern one-third of the state. This mountain chain was formed during the Ordovician period, around 450 million years ago. The tallest peaks of the Appalachians used to be on a par with those in America's Rocky Mountain chain or the Alps in Europe but this is no longer true.

The highest point in the state is Clingmans Dome (6,643 feet), the highest point on the Appalachian Trail (AT). Also known as the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the AT is a designated hiking trail extending from Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail is managed by the National Park Service.

Politically and geographically speaking, the state is divided into three divisions: East, Middle and West. In terms of physiography, the state has six divisions: the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Appalachian Ridge, the Blue Ridge, the Highland Rim, Nashville Basin and Cumberland Plateau. The Volunteer State also holds the record for the most caves in a single state - 9,600 have been documented.

Blue Ridge, encompassing both the Smokey Mountain Ridge and the Iron Mountains, is in the East division on the border with North Carolina. The Smokey Mountains inspired the immortal songs, "On Top of Old Smokey." Also on the east side is the Cumberland Plateau. On the west side is found the Gulf Coastal Plain, the major physiographic feature in the entire state. In the middle lie the Nashville Basin and the Highland Rim.

Local congressional support for Tennessee marijuana legalization belies its mainly conservative political stance. Tennessee's own Representative Steven Cohen was one of the originating authors of pro-marijuana legislation. A new bill has been tabled to remove federal interference with individual states' views on this matter. States are now free to decriminalize and, maybe ultimately, legalize the use of this popular and controversial substance.




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