CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A report nearly two weeks ago that Tennessee Republican legislators were about to offer up
a medical marijuana bill raised hopes of a breakthrough among some activists in the state.
Speculation was that the bill would be more comprehensive than anything the GOP had previously been willing to consider. That is, in all likelihood, the case. However, when the bill failed to materialize early last week as expected, and word circulated that a lobbyist for a relatively unknown group was helping to write the bill, the speculation began to take on a different tone.
Not much information is available on the group paying Tennessee lobbyist David McMahan to help craft the House and Senate versions of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Sen. Steven Dickerson, R-Nashville, as HB1284 and SB1248, respectively.
McMahan was hired by TennCanGrow LLC, which is run by semi-retired healthcare industry businessman and executive Richard F. “Ted” LaRoche.
Siegenthaler Public Relations was also hired to field questions on the bill, as well as questions regarding TennCanGrow, a Murfreesboro-based operation formed in August whose business is listed on a lobbying expense report as “health and healthcare, botanical pharmaceutical growth, manufacture and sales.”
Amy Siegenthaler-Pierce told The Leaf-Chronicle (continue reading)