Alcoholic Beverage Commission requests $18.4M, details hemp and vape implementation workload

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) presented its FY2027 budget request of $18.4 million and described a rapid increase in workload after the Legislature broadened its authority to include hemp and vape regulation. Director Russell Thomas told the committee the agency now conducts thousands of inspections and license activities, identified over 500 hemp outlets operating without licenses and expects initial hemp tax receipts to align with fiscal‑note projections (about $800,000 over recent months). "We're seeking a budget request of $18,400,000 for the upcoming fiscal year," Thomas said.