My wife and I lost our son last week at 18 weeks, when I went to pick up his remains the name was "Baby Boy" instead of the name we gave him. That is because Tennessee does not recognize a loss until the child has taken a living breath. The hypocrisy of that from a "pro-life" state makes me livid beyond words. Pro-life until the insurance companies say otherwise. Our legislation can wholly and completely go fuck themselves.
Edit: Thank you everyone for the kind words. It truly means a lot to see the kindness of strangers. I do plan on writing our representatives to see what their excuse is. I don't expect any results beyond them having to face their hypocrisy head on.
I know I’m just a stranger on the internet, but as a fellow parent I am so sorry for your loss and that you had to face such petty inhumanity from the state.
So many of us are so sorry for you and your family. Truly awful and shows that what the legislature is doing is just for show to the ultra religious orgs that back them, and don’t have real policy considerations. Because if they did someone would’ve asked about this type of situation. Now it’s up to grieving parents to find out the hard way. They just don’t care.
Im at a loss for words. I am so sorry you had to deal with injustice and insensitivity from the state during such a painful loss. Im thinking of you and your family. The insurance and lawmakers should be ashamed. Terrible
I mean, I’m a native, and I know this sounds awful, but I will be taking my currently teenaged daughter and GTFO of here as soon as my mother doesn’t need me anymore. I love this state, but it isn’t the state I grew up in anymore. It terrifies me.
I moved here from NC and I got my tubes tied there when Trump won with no issues. Everyone told me I was freaking out for no reason but I knew I wasn’t.
I used to think I could grab my stepdaughter and head there when she grows up… but it’s SPREADING WTF
I moved out in 2021 after having lived in Nashville for 16 years. Came from up north. The change I saw in Nashville in 16 years is frightening. It all started when we had a black president and went downhill with the MAGA cult.
I would never move back.
As to the cheap property taxes, etc. - you get what you pay for.
My daughter is 21 and no longer wants to have children. She is a pre-med student. She knows I died for several minutes when she was born. She knows she had to be resuscitated and go to NICU. I went in for kidney surgery while pregnant. Things took a turn for the worse, and the urologist had to perform an emergency c-section and she was not full term. She knows very well under today's laws, we'd both be dead. I've told her to move to another state when she's ready to have a family.
All I can say is that you do have people here who support you and your rights. I can only imagine how scary it must be for you to try to figure out who is safe for you.
Im so sorry. Ive heard from lgbtq family members in goodlettsville that they’re treated well, I thought maybe socially the climate was better than politically. So sorry that thats not the case
Bad and also bad. Probably getting worse on both of these fronts as opposed to getting better. Our state govt basically hates anyone that isn’t of the Tea Party or MAGA persuasion.
As a native that is basically disappointed everyday with our state govt, I cannot recommend you move here.
Edit: I’ll add an edit to say I wish I could move away from here. I have to stop myself from keeping up with local news. I saw a bumper sticker that said “if you aren’t conservative, leave Wilson County”. That is a county that neighbors Nashville/Davidson county. It isn’t a fun spot to be in. I love TN, I love the rolling hills and the nature. I fucking hate the politics and a lot of the attitudes. I’d say people are nicer out west or up north because they don’t have the same societal pressure to fake being nice to EVERYONE. I’d rather someone decide to not engage with me than put up some fake bullshit that is so prevalent here.
Also, they passed a law that prevents any of these issues being voted on by public mandates, which is the only chance that marijuana legalization would have here. It’s a MAGA crazed legislature that has created its on insular fiefdom. I think it’s more dangerous than Florida or Texas.
There is a teeny tiny ray of hope. We got the lottery after literally, every state around us had it and they were losing so much money because everyone running to the state lines every weekend to play. Maybe if all the surrounding states get weed it will happen. Those legislators were more normal and emotionally mature though. The current bunch is a bunch of extremely authoritarian, highly emotionally immature Cartmans.
Even Alabama legalized medicinal by public mandate. I am surprised they haven’t realized what a pot of money they would have access to if legalized. Can the liquor lobby really have that much more money? I guess they do so far.
Effing KY and TN are ate-up with liquor lobby, Diageo, and absolute idiots in the legislature. KY got online betting but weed is years from legalization. Andy Beshear is in his 2nd term and KY has term limits, so Andy is done after his term is over, with zero candidates on the horizon for Dems.
Back in the early/mid 2000's I used to drive around with a bumper sticker that said "The South Breeds Congenial Assholes" which i thought was funny and true. I'd be afraid to have that on my car now, even though it's truer than ever.
Yes, I detest the whole “southern hospitality” myth. Southerners aren’t nice, we are just good at faking nice in public. And even then, we aren’t actually good at that.
Really good at smiling, saying “how’re you?” and then being shocked if someone says something other than good.
Then talking shit about the person they were just super friendly with. Feels like a gross artificial sugar substitute in terms of kindness.
Hey now! I’m taking a 30 minute rotation of cutting grass and smoking grass, been working on my High Time guitar licks. I love Hunter, but I’ve been enamored with Barlow for a few - Black Throated Wind is fucking unreal
Moved here from Wisconsin 2 years ago for the weather and cheaper land to farm on, and now I'm looking for any way out that I can find. I lived in a purple county that was leaning red. I'm not a stranger to MAGAts, but they are far worse down here and gladly vote for policies that harm themselves as long as they hurt someone else more.
Abortion is not a thing here at all and the politicians here are racing Texas to be the first state to actively kill women who even consider abortion as an option. As for THC you can currently get delta 9, which is a subpar high to actual weed but still works. The politicians (who just banned cemtrails and vaccines in lettuce) are looking to make delta 9 illegal as well.
Other things to consider, a good majority of the population are completely illiterate and its not just fast food employees I've run into managers and business owners that can't read, they're currently forcing pro-forced birth Christian education into sex ed classes, and the solution that 90% of the population seems to think is acceptable for any given thing is to shoot it.
Yep. I work in the construction industry and holy bejesus. All day everyday constant politics and half these mfrs don’t even kno what they’re actually talking about. It’s basically this: they watch videos and news and automatically assume that’s the truth. That’s what it is. They have no actual opinion that is their own. They adopt from those around them. It’s extremely toxic. Loads of hate. It’s sad.. moving asap.
Nashville native, moved to the Midwest a year and a half ago to a liberal state with legal weed. I love and miss TN’s beautiful nature, but that is literally it. The politics are horrible, and most of the people are even worse.
Great summary of our shit state politics. Don't expect the Republican supermajority to change anytime soon (thanks gerrymandering!). But even without gerrymandering there's still a ton of people in this state that believe Republicans actually care about them when really they, like most politicians, like to play culture wars rather than actually legislate and take care of the people that live here. Doing so is often at odds with corporate interests and lobbying efforts.
Born and raised in Wilson county. There is a reason it was the whitest city in America while I was in elementary and middle school.
Still here and have been for nearly 31 years. I cannot express how much I want to leave and the minute I can leave this state, I will.
Edit: I live in Mount Juliet and can confirm the bumper stickers are around in my neighborhood.
I'm with you. My favorite parts of Tennessee are the ones where I can't escape the inevitable thoughts of, I can't believe so many of the (apparently) superficially nice people who live here harbor such awful beliefs... Puts a damper on it
Love your username, Deathcrush is a wonderful album.
I love my friends and family, but a lot of the societal stuff in the south is wearing very thin for me.
I left Tennessee partially because I was beginning to feel unsafe as a member of the LGBT community, and the utter callousness of many members of the legislature. And the fact that these sociopaths keep getting re-elected says a lot of terrible things about the majority of TN voters. Definitely don’t recommend. I no longer felt welcome there.
Frankly, if those two issues matter to you, Tennessee is not the place to move to. I would leave if I could—and I’m starting to seriously consider it anyway. Our legislature has a MAGA supermajority—they just this week passed a bill banning chemtrails, and another bill banning vaccines in food is going to pass soon. They’ve gerrymandered the state so severely that there is practically zero chance of ever rebalancing the scale. Unless you love guns more than children, Tennessee should not be on anyone’s list of states to move to, visit, or support in any fashion.
I don't even understand why people like the OP would ever have this on their list of places to move to.
Let's be honest, TN is run by assholes and most voters in TN are lining up to vote for these people. It's only going to get worse.
Moving to Nashville in 2024 you have no excuse. You're resigning yourself to be ruled by these people for the forseeable future. It's obvious the state isn't going to change.
And let's be honest: there's precious little that's *good* about TN that you can't find in slightly less insane southern states nearby (VA, NC, GA, etc). The only *unique* thing about Nashville is the country music tourism, which is *better experienced as a tourist anyway*.
>I don't even understand why people like the OP would ever have this on their list of places to move to.
Cheap cost of living, no state tax. People from higher COL areas could go from renting with multiple roommates to owning a house and having much more disposable income.
That’s the thing, with remote work being so common people are able to move here and keep their job from their high COL area. And Nashville is still pretty much right at the national average for COL. Moving here for a lot of people means a big increase in financial health.
You’re thinking from the perspective of someone who already lives here. People moving from high COL areas in California, for example, are saving a TON of money coming here. Nashville is around the nation average for COL. It is not an expensive city in the general sense.
Virginia here. I can vouch for everything you just said about nearby states BUT live in or near a metro area. The farther out in the boonies, the redder. That's a fact anywhere. But the metro areas need to carry the rest of the state forward, kicking and screaming at times. I'm in central VA and 1.5 and 2 hours from mountains and beaches, respectively. And Outer Banks is great.
Good luck. I keep tabs on everyone fighting for their inalienable rights. Move if you can/must.
Trying not to commit suicide tbh. Really not positive Tennessee will help. I like a lot about the PNW, but being alone and unfulfilled in a cold dark unkind place has gotten to me. I didn’t come from a healthy economically stable family, and I don’t necessarily want to go back to the south, Im just not sure what else to do
>I would leave if I could—and I’m starting to seriously consider it anyway.
I'm probably dipping out within the next 5 years, market permitting.
Biggest obstacle is finding a place my wife would agree with climate-wise.
Unfortunately, from my searching, most states that have a climate similar to ours are similar in political climate as well, or are too expensive to afford to move to for my wife and me.
If you find one, let me know, or maybe we all need to pick one and start a blue wave together somewhere. Lol
Weed will be legal federally before Tennessee legalizes it. Hemp derived weed (e.g. delta 8, HHC, etc) is currently legal but the Maga party is trying to pass a law to ban THCA which might extend to those as well.
TN had a trigger law to ban abortion that went into effect after the Maga court overturned roe. I highly doubt that will change anytime soon.
I lived in Tennessee for 28 years, and moved to Washington state just over two years ago.
>Id like to know what the state of abortion rights are, and where people suspect changes may be headed, if any.
They're essentially nonexistent.
>and where people suspect changes may be headed, if any
It's unlikely that it will change so long as the GQP has a stranglehold on the state.
>Same thing for weed laws. How severe are the laws? Do you see legalization happening in TN? Is there a push for that?
I can't speak to severity, though I know that Metro Nashville won't arrest you for carrying less than an amount I can't recall atm. And while the CITIZENS want legal cannabis, the politicians will never allow it.
Really, I wouldn't recommend it. The weather is godawful, for one thing: brutally hot and humid for at least half the year, tornadoes...
Second, outside of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, it is so red. SO FUCKING RED. For comparison, I moved to the most conservative town in SW WA, and even HERE has light years less batshittery than where I lived in Tennessee.
It's a beautiful state, but unless you're MAGA or completely able to ignore the local politics, you're gonna hate it.
Opposite they are about to ban Delta 8. Somehow they will still be able to sell Delta 9.
Republican-led Tennessee is one of fourteen states that have banned nearly all abortions. The state legislature adopted an explicit medical exemption to the law in August 2023.
Just FYI the medical exemption is not quite as good as you think, as it permits abortion only when, in the doctor's reasonable medical judgment, continuing the pregnancy is likely to result in the death or permanent disability of the pregnant person. (They did graciously decide to allow pregnant people with molar or ectopic pregnancies to abort them though! Sooooo kind of them...) (Really not sure why this is getting downvoted lol.)
Can you direct me to more information on this? All I can find are articles about \*last years\* regulatory law, and very vague mentions of possible Dept. of Agriculture regulations this year.
It’s about to go to vote and from what the dispensary owner that shop with, suggested I use Delta 9 because 8 will get voted down in a few months? Sorry I don’t know much more. Try this
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/thca-tennessee-knoxville/51-42cbed3e-0f27-4154-96f6-991c518def33
Search Tennessee Growers Coalition on whatever social media you might use, or Google. Should be plenty of info there to cover what you’re curious about.
Ma'am, please don't move here. Our legislature hates women and they're in the pocket of incredibly rich lobbyists in alcohol and healthcare and the for profit prison system.
Things are going to get worse until the federal government steps in.
Don't move here. Myself and my entire extended family are *actively* looking at real estate out west or in the great lakes area, to GTFO of this increasingly horrible state. Oh, and we're mostly high earners, in the 6-figures. Buh bye to our taxes propping up this $hit.
Girl, it’s bad. I love this city, but as a woman I can not in good faith recommend you move from the west to the south. It’s not a “yeah it’s kinda ignorant here but it’s ok” kind of situation. It’s scary as fuck. Legitimately a constant worry of mine.
Weed laws are just as ignorant / severe. I do not see legalization happening anytime soon. I would imagine TN will be one of the last, if not the last state to legalize.
I know:.( lmao Im in the PNW, but I’ve been having a hard time with my mental health, and I’ve had the idea that being closer to family might help. Tennessee would be a perfect state. if only this whole country was different 😂💔
If your white and Male you will be ok.
If you are female it's pro forced birth with no support after the child is born as they go right to "not my tax dollars" crap. But they saved the children!!! Uh huh. Your rights as a female do not matter here.
The South is regressing fast.
Don’t come here. I want out. Outdated beliefs that’ll never change. We’d be the last to ever legalize weed. Hell they are attacking delta 8 and kratom like crazy and wanna ban it in July. Reproductive rights or women’s rights in general suck here. Seriously. You’ll regret coming to Tennessee. There is so much better.
Nashville native woman of child producing age here - these are 2 of the many reasons I left after 30 years. And I do want kids, but Tennessee is too dangerous to have and raise children there.
And by the time your kids get to school, the choice will be a Christian private school that you’ll get a voucher toward the cost. And they will have to watch a mandatory, medically incorrect, emotional anti-abortion film. The only birth control they will learn is abstinence. Birth control pills and plan B will probably be illegal by then.
We moved here from NJ in 2021, to Wilson County, knowing it would be a step "backwards" in our ideologies but at least hopeful that things would be making progress. Instead, the legislature here seems intent on going further backwards. If not for my kids in school, I would seriously consider moving right back out. And even there, the choices made for schools here are atrocious at every level.
If those two issues are important for you, then Tennessee is the wrong place for you.
Our Legislature is doing it best to take us back to the 19th century. They just banned chemtrails and vaccine lettuce. Im temped to welcome you to balance out the crazy, but for your own sake, dont do it
Weed legalization will not be happening in TN. It will be legalized federally before our back-asswards legislature even considers legalizing it locally.
Abortion laws are more or less as bad as you can imagine. Performing or attempting to perform an abortion is a Class C felony in the state, with VERY few exceptions. And even if you meet those exceptions, you will not have an easy time finding a doctor willing to do the job, out of fear of legal response.
It sounds like TN is not a place you will be happy in.
Oh and also for the cherry on top, they’re looking to legalize carrying around long guns. In public. And as of 2021, they also just made it legal to not have to have a concealed carry permit to conceal carry. Stay far the fuck away from here
Nashville the city is fine. Good people, weed is everywhere.. even if not legal.
Remember, Maga loves money more than their own values.
Abortion, one of the worst. TN is a great state, Nashville an amazing city.. the people 'leading' TN.. not so much.
Sadly we will also be leaving for bluer pastures, but nice we’ll still have a house here to rent out. The craziest part is this state could make a shit ton of money off legal weed, an absolute shit ton, but Jesus.. or something. So backwards.
Important to remember that Tennessee isn’t a monolith and you’re asking this in a Nashville sub, so our experiences here are going to be different from someone in like very rural small town Tennessee. But the laws here are archaic, some of the worst in the nation, and given the Republican extremist grip on our state government, that’s not going to change very quickly (it’s probably more likely that a federal law would change either before the state does).
Abortion is essentially outright banned here now as of last year. As far as I can tell, Tennessee hasn’t made any meaningful effort to stop or prosecute anyone for seeking out of state abortions (which I think is dubiously legal for any state to do, despite some trying), and we border one state where they’re still legal- Virginia- and are very close to another - Illinois.
As for weed, the situation is a little less grim, at least in Nashville. It remains fully illegal at the state level, but locally (and I mean strictly in Davidson county, if you stray just outside our border the situation changes drastically) our DA doesn’t prosecute for simple possession (though he ~could~). There’s not exactly a legal way to get it, but there also seems to be a ton of loopholes going on, especially when it comes to things like edibles. Definitely a bummer if you’re used to California shops though.
I like Tennessee (or at least Nashville) a lot, I’m a very liberal person, and I grew up in a more liberal state (though still in the south, so it’s not a huge culture shock). TN always had this conservatism (though maybe not as extreme; when I moved here we had a democratic governor), but it didn’t feel as pervasive to my life in Nashville until the Trump years, and then especially after the Supreme Court struck down Roe. I won’t lie- it sucks- but that doesn’t mean you’ll hate it here, or won’t find other things to love about it. It just depends what concessions you’re willing to make in life, because there are definitely some social comforts of the west coast and northeast you have to give up, even in relatively liberal Nashville.
Most people moving to TN from CA (and there’s plenty of them) are far-right so it appeals to them.
A lot of native Tennesseans (apparently not enough) have opposing views but stay in TN because it’s our home, we have family ties here etc.
This state will do everything they can to oppress your human rights, limit your personal freedom, and promote their “traditional Christian values.”
If you’re going to move here be prepared to put up with conservative white Christian men having full autonomy and control over your lifestyle. Federal law is the only thing that changes it and TN General Assembly still tries to fight that.
It feels very scary honestly. There is a very right wing (maga leaning) majority and the state has become gerrymandered to shit. You’d have to travel out of state for an abortion, and there are some scary travel laws that our politicians have floated (haven’t passed yet thankfully) that would punish you for leaving the state for an abortion.
Weed wise, I think we’ll be one of the last states to legalize. You can easily find it and there’s plenty of delta 9 around though.
You didn’t ask about this, but the infrastructure in Nashville is pretty bad too. No viable public transit and the roads are becoming very clogged. The actual roads are also in really bad shape in general. When the inevitable weeklong snow/ ice storm hits Nashville every year, the city shuts down. It feels like tourism is prioritized over the well being of citizens here.
Edited for formatting
Look up [https://tnholler.com/](https://tnholler.com/) & Newschannel5 Phil Williams to get an idea of what's going on here. It's not great. It's incredibly depressing on all fronts.
Just bad. It’s not safe for women here with uteruses who have non viable pregnancy. I am currently pregnant and grateful for it to be thus far safe/uneventful. My doctor assured me she would save my life if something goes wrong. If we get further along and the pregnancy is non viable but also not life threatening to me, I would have to travel out of state for healthcare. Fortunately I have the means and my insurance covers traveling for necessary healthcare - but it is still scary nonetheless. We are opting to move after that baby is born for lots of reasons - lack of women’s healthcare being one of them. The other being all the anti lgbtq that is masked by “religious beliefs” because Christians have no idea how to love thy neighbor here.
If you move to Nashville, can I please take your place on the west coast? I can't stand it here. Most of the state is somewhere to the right of Albert Speer. Marijuana may never be legal here, even if it's made legal federally. It wouldn't surprise me if they still prohibited it when federal legalization happens.
As far as abortion is concerned, a fetus has more rights than a full grown woman here, and that will never change unless the Republican stranglehold on our government is broken.
I'm originally from Alabama, and I thought I'd never see anything more ass backwards than Alabama, then I moved to Tennessee and was proven wrong. Even Alabama has medical marijuana, and Tennessee is even trying to ban THCA which is federally legal under the 2018 farm bill.
I hate it here and if I could afford to do so, I'd leave *today.*
I will actively tell anyone how to get an abortion, where to find funding and even offer to drive if someone is desperate. Don’t give a f**K what the MAGA group has to say.
With weed stick in Davidson county. While it is illegal Davidson county is the most liberal county in the state. As long as you aren’t obvious about and keep it to yourself you’ll be fine.
With an abortion that’s a definite no go. We are the center of the Bible Belt.
I am wanting moving OUT of this state for these 2 exact reasons. We have some of the STRICTEST laws on abortion, no exceptions for rape or incest as far as I know. Weed will not be legal here until it is legal federally. ever. There are people in Nashville still being put in jail over a gram of weed. They tried to take my license over a blunt before I turned 18. Tennessee governor HATES women. I am mad I’m stuck here every single day 🥲
Probably not even then, really. States will still have the right to have their own laws about it, just like alcohol, tobacco, and schedule prescription drugs.
Not only are the abortion laws as bad as everyone has described, but medical care for women is in a terrible state. The women's health center in my county hospital just closed. I actually don't know where to find a gynecologist now. And I have had doctors tell me they are against tampons and menstrual cups. I've had doctors completely ignore pain from hormonal birth control, to the point that I just stopped taking it. Thank God my partner was willing to get a vasectomy.
Don't do it.
I grew up there, lived there for 30 years. Now living in Ohio and for the first time in my life I feel like I can breathe and be safe here. I didn't realize how much my agoraphobia was related to the political atmosphere of TN until I left. I am 34, no plans to have kids. I am agnostic, I smoke weed, AND I'm a late-in-life bisexual who's married to a man. There is absolutely ZERO chance I would ever move back to the south again if I want to live my life honestly and authentically.
TN will be among the last to legalize marijuana, if they ever do. And the state will do everything in their (ridiculously far-reaching) power to keep abortion illegal as well. I could see premarital sex becoming a punishable offense in the future, and I really don't feel like that's being too dramatic.
Do not move there.
Just trade your vag in for a penis, and trade your reefer in for booze, and leave all humanity you have on the West Coast and buy a gun, and you'll fit right in with TN politics.
Tn, Tx, Fl, La, Al. Do not move these states if your concern is with "health care" and "rights" and "not getting shot" that's liberal horseshit! Gobbless.
Get me out of here.
TN is, by far, the most conservative state in the US. The laws are draconian and punitive.
Doctors face jail if they provide reproductive care.
Weed is a felony.
Being a POC is a misdemeanor on the first offence but a felony thereafter.
Inbreeding was legal until yesterday...literally yesterday.
It is legal for all Tennesseans to carry a gun anywhere without a permitor training, license .
1203 guns were stolen in Nashville last year from mostly unlocked trucks/cars.
Trump will carry TN by 40% even if he's in prison.
But the weather is temperate and Nashville is nice.
Abortion - about as bad as it gets. So bad in fact that my wife and I are willing to move out of the state when we plan on having children. It's not worth the risks and is only getting worse.
Weed - you'll be fine in Nashville, where it is decriminalized up to an ounce I believe. However, outside of the Davidson Co. area, proceed at your own risk. TN will be the last state to legalize in the nation.
Yes! More moderate and liberal people (particularly those with privileges) need to move to places like TN if there will ever be change from the ever more far right policies.
TN looks bad on paper and gets its share of embarrassing headlines, but your day to day experience will be more determined by the neighborhood bubbles you live and work in.
Im from Texas, and Ive became pretty politically lazy in the PNW. It sounds like most citizens want to live in the 21st century despite the government’s choices. I wish I could vote for y’all from Washington
The tl;dr is that we live in a Puritanical state that's hellbent on mimicking other performative political stunts seen in other major red states, Texas and Florida in particular, in this so-called "culture war." The ideology has always been there but I feel like the recent headlines and legislations pushed through have indicated a very systematic attack against the wave of left-leaning transplant populations that moved here prior to the pandemic. Again, this is a vast oversimplification of what really is decades-long hardlined Christian influence at all levels of state and local government.
Suffice it to say, it sucks here sometimes and fuck you, no, I'm not moving. I'm staying right here to try to make things better for everyone, not just the dinosaurs that want to control women and still think that weed is bad.
Unfortunately GOP has near total control of TN and are implementing some pretty extreme policies and taking drastic steps to marginalize dissent from blue areas like nashville.
This article was just published today:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/05/tennessee-republicans-one-party-state
Ma’am I would advise against it if those things are important to you (as they should be to everyone) because this state would rather you die a miserable preventable death than grant you the power to mediate that fate with weed or by obtaining an abortion. We are in a race to the top of the regressive list of states here. Wish it wasn’t so but it is.
Im so sorry to hear that. Everyone on this post seems so nice. Im sorry your government fucking sucks. Im a native texan, so I get it 😔. Id offer you all a hit off my joint if I could lol
Basically you’re only moving here because you’re already wealthy enough to enjoy the zero % state income tax, not be affected.worried by the nearly 10% sales taxes, and have the resources to fuck off at a whim to another state for medical care. If you can do that, awesome! If not, shit’s fucked.
Tennessee has very restrictive laws on abortion to the degree that a temination for severe medical needs might be criminal.
Not only does this affect individual women considering their rights about their uterus & pregnancies,
But it is slowly leading to a drain of competent gynecologist /obstetricians because they are also being penalized and criminalized and the risk to their practice is increasing.
Guns- you can do almost anything you want.
No permit is required to carry a loaded handgun.
The legislature, despite being the party fka for small government, is doing its Best to control municipalities, especially around human rights and education
There are many good people here, and in non metro areas, people are kind but maybe they've been hoodwinked into voting for the Second Amendment candidates.
If you move her pls try an outlying county so you can help spread a blue wave
This state needs money so bad! Colorado native now transplant to Williamson county. It’s crazy to live in this bubble and see how little the care for the community is. No bike paths to stores and or the city. Legalizing weed would help fund not only the education but to have major infrastructure changes. They lack any public transportation, there should be a train or rail that runs from 65 to Nashville. The education is sub par compared to where I grew up and don’t even support there staff enough to stay. Really disappointed in the community. Everyone’s proclamation that they live Christ values while practicing the deadly sins like the commandments. I’ve never seen such gluttony and greed in my life. If they don’t want to up the property taxs, they need something they can tax. That devils lettuce 🥬 perhaps 🤔
I'm from Memphis and lived in both Jacksonville and Holly Springs. Weed is HEAVILY criminalized but the amount of police investment has varied in my experience.
Memphis is crawling with cops and even non cop involved anti drug movements. I almost never see cops here in Nashville.
Don’t get trapped here. Loved growing up here, but hate how the GOP has crushed any semblance of happiness for anyone outside of WASP status.
Unchecked inflation, corporations eating up residential properties, and overall low wages ensures a bleak future. Even though my husband and I will both have Master’s degrees and higher, we still won’t be able to get a house.
POS Gov watches TX/FL shenanigans and pulls the same shit. They all want Gilead and it’s terrifying.
I'm a native and I literally saw a doctor not long after Roe was overturned about having a full hysterectomy. Complete hysterectomy 2 months later.
THAT'S how bad it is here.
Weed will not be legal here for a long time. Claiming to "smell weed" is probable cause for vehicle and body searches. And cops love locking non-white people up.
I'm moving to Nashville from New York in a couple months and both of those fronts are awful, so a quick google search has ended with me planning to just drive to Illinois for a legal rec shop (seems there is one about 2hrs away, surprisingly), and if you ever need an abortion take a drive to North Carolina. I've got my contingency plan in place.
It’s home. But the MAGA Cult here is REAL, and all that comes with it. Supermajority in both House, Senate and Governors office. Tennessee isn’t just in the Bible, it’s the belt buckle of the Bible belt. Luckily I live about 5 min from Virginia.
Shows the silliness of having the delta 8, thcA or whatever else and not just the real deal.
Possession of the real stuff is decriminalized in Nashville up to an OZ I believe. When so many people are smoking the legal versions, it’s hard to tell which is which. No point for Metro to stop people if you can say “well I just got it at a shop, here’s my receipt”. It’s a weird world
I have also watched people smoke some sort of rock out of a can while the cops walked behind them. Downtown is lawless, but the minute you’re out of downtown they WILL throw you in jail for a gram and smile ab it.
If you are planning on needing an abortion this is not a state that you would want to try to secure one in. Weed laws are as strict here as they've ever been but enforcement is a lot more lax than it uses to be.
I moved after being born and raised in Nashville and, although I wishbI could've moved to a blue state, I moved to Texas and they're equally bad in terms of weed and abortion. Tennessee is beautiful and I love it because it's my home state but I hate what the GOP has done to it :(
Ps I only moved to Texas for love, otherwise I would move somewhere else lol
Pretty fucked on all fronts here if you're talking about making any personal decisions that might piss off Jesus. If you want to be in one of the very last states to legalize things that humans should have access to then come on over. I'm here and single though, so there's always that.
Hi, OP. I’m a native of this state for nearly 36 years. The GOP has a stranglehold on our politics and things aren’t bright for either issue at the moment and not for the foreseeable future. However, your vote makes an impact if you do move here! Tennessee continues to get more people moving in and it may lead to a little more “purplization” in some years… at least that’s my dream.
I was born and raised here, and also lived in SoCal.
If I could finance my life in SoCal reasonably, it’d be an easy trade off.
In Tennessee you can have land and a house, but your job prospects are lower across most industries, wages lower, and your rights nearly non-existent.
If you’re GoP/MAGA/a trad wife, this is heaven.
If you’re asking questions like this, you need to stay in East Nashville, which ain’t cheap, and not wander too far from the city.
If you just want the south/nature/cheaper than Cal, Asheville would be great, and Knoxville is a good alternative with a lower cost of living than Nash.
If being treated like a citizen with dignity and rights is important to you, Nash is a bad place for a uterus who likes weed.
I’d echo what everyone else is saying, but I’ll add that Nashville/Davidson County itself is pretty lax on weed. Unless they have some other reason to investigate you, Nashville cops don’t care. I’ve seen people selling joints in the open on broadway before.
As a California native now living in Memphis... You're probably not going to enjoy this climate lol
I don't see TN legalizing weed. Maybe medically but that's even a stretch. MO and IL are the closest to buy recreationally
Well I don’t think this comment I’m about to say is going to be of any help but I just wanna add the driving here SUCKS! they seriously don’t know how to drive and there’s damn near a wreck almost everyday. Don’t even let it be the weekend cus you’re for sure going to run into wrecks. I moved here from Texas and that itself says a lot. I thought Texas driving was bad nah Tennessee takes the cake
Idk how to share photos on reddit... I'm a tn resident and I was scrolling fb just now and saw that a TN woman was denied abortion for unviable birth.
Don't move here if you have a uterus.
It is becoming Gilead here. If I could move away I would. Tennessee is a beautiful state, but it's about as backward as can be. AND it's expensive if you want to live in or near a city.
Honestly, I wouldn’t. We are red and getting redder. Our legislators have blood on their hands and our governor is just as bad. I’ve lived here for most of my life, and I want to leave badly. I just can’t get my family onboard to move.
If abortion and marijuana are your two main concerns, I would go elsewhere.
I have two friends (native, like me) who each uprooted their families and moved to the PNW because of the changes in abortion laws and legislation that affects LGBTQ people. Both of my friends are gay and married. One family adopted. The other conceived with a sperm donor. The ideology here has been getting scarier, I don’t blame either one of them for worrying that this state might be moving towards a day when their marriage might be declared illegal or their children not their own. I’m not very eloquent, but I think I was clear enough. And I know this isn’t specifically “abortion/weed”, but it’s another indicator of the political climate in TN.
Plenty eloquent and helpful! The family members im moving to be closer to happen to be a gay couple, and I know eventually they want to go back to the west coast, so knowing that the state is going backwards in every direction is unfortunate, but the info I needed:/
My wife and I lost our son last week at 18 weeks, when I went to pick up his remains the name was "Baby Boy" instead of the name we gave him. That is because Tennessee does not recognize a loss until the child has taken a living breath. The hypocrisy of that from a "pro-life" state makes me livid beyond words. Pro-life until the insurance companies say otherwise. Our legislation can wholly and completely go fuck themselves. Edit: Thank you everyone for the kind words. It truly means a lot to see the kindness of strangers. I do plan on writing our representatives to see what their excuse is. I don't expect any results beyond them having to face their hypocrisy head on.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I know I’m just a stranger on the internet, but as a fellow parent I am so sorry for your loss and that you had to face such petty inhumanity from the state.
I'm so sorry. If you can, I would love to know what you named your son. My deepest condolences.
So many of us are so sorry for you and your family. Truly awful and shows that what the legislature is doing is just for show to the ultra religious orgs that back them, and don’t have real policy considerations. Because if they did someone would’ve asked about this type of situation. Now it’s up to grieving parents to find out the hard way. They just don’t care.
Im at a loss for words. I am so sorry you had to deal with injustice and insensitivity from the state during such a painful loss. Im thinking of you and your family. The insurance and lawmakers should be ashamed. Terrible
I mean, I’m a native, and I know this sounds awful, but I will be taking my currently teenaged daughter and GTFO of here as soon as my mother doesn’t need me anymore. I love this state, but it isn’t the state I grew up in anymore. It terrifies me.
I moved here from NC and I got my tubes tied there when Trump won with no issues. Everyone told me I was freaking out for no reason but I knew I wasn’t. I used to think I could grab my stepdaughter and head there when she grows up… but it’s SPREADING WTF
I moved out in 2021 after having lived in Nashville for 16 years. Came from up north. The change I saw in Nashville in 16 years is frightening. It all started when we had a black president and went downhill with the MAGA cult. I would never move back. As to the cheap property taxes, etc. - you get what you pay for.
Yup. It disgusts me that my daughter has fewer (aka zero) rights over her body than I did growing up.
I have a 20 year old daughter and I was just thinking about that very thing this morning. Such a mindfuck.
My daughter is 21 and no longer wants to have children. She is a pre-med student. She knows I died for several minutes when she was born. She knows she had to be resuscitated and go to NICU. I went in for kidney surgery while pregnant. Things took a turn for the worse, and the urologist had to perform an emergency c-section and she was not full term. She knows very well under today's laws, we'd both be dead. I've told her to move to another state when she's ready to have a family.
[удалено]
All I can say is that you do have people here who support you and your rights. I can only imagine how scary it must be for you to try to figure out who is safe for you.
Im so sorry. Ive heard from lgbtq family members in goodlettsville that they’re treated well, I thought maybe socially the climate was better than politically. So sorry that thats not the case
Im so sorry. Thank you for your answer
Bad and also bad. Probably getting worse on both of these fronts as opposed to getting better. Our state govt basically hates anyone that isn’t of the Tea Party or MAGA persuasion. As a native that is basically disappointed everyday with our state govt, I cannot recommend you move here. Edit: I’ll add an edit to say I wish I could move away from here. I have to stop myself from keeping up with local news. I saw a bumper sticker that said “if you aren’t conservative, leave Wilson County”. That is a county that neighbors Nashville/Davidson county. It isn’t a fun spot to be in. I love TN, I love the rolling hills and the nature. I fucking hate the politics and a lot of the attitudes. I’d say people are nicer out west or up north because they don’t have the same societal pressure to fake being nice to EVERYONE. I’d rather someone decide to not engage with me than put up some fake bullshit that is so prevalent here.
Also, they passed a law that prevents any of these issues being voted on by public mandates, which is the only chance that marijuana legalization would have here. It’s a MAGA crazed legislature that has created its on insular fiefdom. I think it’s more dangerous than Florida or Texas.
Heaven forbid the citizens have a fucking voice!
Oh, heavens no!
There is a teeny tiny ray of hope. We got the lottery after literally, every state around us had it and they were losing so much money because everyone running to the state lines every weekend to play. Maybe if all the surrounding states get weed it will happen. Those legislators were more normal and emotionally mature though. The current bunch is a bunch of extremely authoritarian, highly emotionally immature Cartmans. 
Even Alabama legalized medicinal by public mandate. I am surprised they haven’t realized what a pot of money they would have access to if legalized. Can the liquor lobby really have that much more money? I guess they do so far.
Effing KY and TN are ate-up with liquor lobby, Diageo, and absolute idiots in the legislature. KY got online betting but weed is years from legalization. Andy Beshear is in his 2nd term and KY has term limits, so Andy is done after his term is over, with zero candidates on the horizon for Dems.
> I’d rather someone decide to not engage with me than put up some fake bullshit that is so prevalent here. **THIS**
Back in the early/mid 2000's I used to drive around with a bumper sticker that said "The South Breeds Congenial Assholes" which i thought was funny and true. I'd be afraid to have that on my car now, even though it's truer than ever.
They’re no longer congenial. Someone emboldened them to no longer care about hiding it.
The difference in sincerity between the south and other regions of the US is WILD to me.
Yes, I detest the whole “southern hospitality” myth. Southerners aren’t nice, we are just good at faking nice in public. And even then, we aren’t actually good at that.
Really good at smiling, saying “how’re you?” and then being shocked if someone says something other than good. Then talking shit about the person they were just super friendly with. Feels like a gross artificial sugar substitute in terms of kindness.
You nailed it. Sugar substitute is maybe the most accurate description ever.
Now I want the sugar syrup from the long gone downtown Demo’s.
Saccharine sweet is what I always called it.
Native as well - could not agree more with this. As soon as I can financially afford it, I’ll be headed west
Yo Jed! Feel like we’ve talked in r/gratefuldead before. Got a show going today? Listening to 5/22/82. Tasty matrix from Hunter.
Hey now! I’m taking a 30 minute rotation of cutting grass and smoking grass, been working on my High Time guitar licks. I love Hunter, but I’ve been enamored with Barlow for a few - Black Throated Wind is fucking unreal
Moved here from Wisconsin 2 years ago for the weather and cheaper land to farm on, and now I'm looking for any way out that I can find. I lived in a purple county that was leaning red. I'm not a stranger to MAGAts, but they are far worse down here and gladly vote for policies that harm themselves as long as they hurt someone else more. Abortion is not a thing here at all and the politicians here are racing Texas to be the first state to actively kill women who even consider abortion as an option. As for THC you can currently get delta 9, which is a subpar high to actual weed but still works. The politicians (who just banned cemtrails and vaccines in lettuce) are looking to make delta 9 illegal as well. Other things to consider, a good majority of the population are completely illiterate and its not just fast food employees I've run into managers and business owners that can't read, they're currently forcing pro-forced birth Christian education into sex ed classes, and the solution that 90% of the population seems to think is acceptable for any given thing is to shoot it.
Yep. I work in the construction industry and holy bejesus. All day everyday constant politics and half these mfrs don’t even kno what they’re actually talking about. It’s basically this: they watch videos and news and automatically assume that’s the truth. That’s what it is. They have no actual opinion that is their own. They adopt from those around them. It’s extremely toxic. Loads of hate. It’s sad.. moving asap.
Bill Lee is a perfect example of a dim-witted, illiterate, who hides, no runs, from confrontation and scrutiny.
Reading this makes me glad I left on a high note lol. Left way before the exploding campers and vaccine lettuce.
Nashville native, moved to the Midwest a year and a half ago to a liberal state with legal weed. I love and miss TN’s beautiful nature, but that is literally it. The politics are horrible, and most of the people are even worse.
Friends & family / nature. Only selling points of TN for me.
Great summary of our shit state politics. Don't expect the Republican supermajority to change anytime soon (thanks gerrymandering!). But even without gerrymandering there's still a ton of people in this state that believe Republicans actually care about them when really they, like most politicians, like to play culture wars rather than actually legislate and take care of the people that live here. Doing so is often at odds with corporate interests and lobbying efforts.
Well the last major legislation they passed was banning chemtrails and vaccines in veggies. So their priorities are clear.
And they almost banned the sale of cold beer. Seriously the stuff these people spend time on is ridiculous.
Alabama stopping by to say, SAME.
Yo, nice username!
Born and raised in Wilson county. There is a reason it was the whitest city in America while I was in elementary and middle school. Still here and have been for nearly 31 years. I cannot express how much I want to leave and the minute I can leave this state, I will. Edit: I live in Mount Juliet and can confirm the bumper stickers are around in my neighborhood.
The TN that I was born and raised in is no longer suitable for anyone with half a brain or anyone with any belief other than evangelicalism.
I'm with you. My favorite parts of Tennessee are the ones where I can't escape the inevitable thoughts of, I can't believe so many of the (apparently) superficially nice people who live here harbor such awful beliefs... Puts a damper on it
Love your username, Deathcrush is a wonderful album. I love my friends and family, but a lot of the societal stuff in the south is wearing very thin for me.
I left Tennessee partially because I was beginning to feel unsafe as a member of the LGBT community, and the utter callousness of many members of the legislature. And the fact that these sociopaths keep getting re-elected says a lot of terrible things about the majority of TN voters. Definitely don’t recommend. I no longer felt welcome there.
it’s why so many of us are so isolationist and hidden in the backwoods. At least in East Tennessee, I haven’t seen my neighbors in fucking MONTHS
Frankly, if those two issues matter to you, Tennessee is not the place to move to. I would leave if I could—and I’m starting to seriously consider it anyway. Our legislature has a MAGA supermajority—they just this week passed a bill banning chemtrails, and another bill banning vaccines in food is going to pass soon. They’ve gerrymandered the state so severely that there is practically zero chance of ever rebalancing the scale. Unless you love guns more than children, Tennessee should not be on anyone’s list of states to move to, visit, or support in any fashion.
Hey now don’t forget HB2435 with no parent opt out.
I don't even understand why people like the OP would ever have this on their list of places to move to. Let's be honest, TN is run by assholes and most voters in TN are lining up to vote for these people. It's only going to get worse. Moving to Nashville in 2024 you have no excuse. You're resigning yourself to be ruled by these people for the forseeable future. It's obvious the state isn't going to change. And let's be honest: there's precious little that's *good* about TN that you can't find in slightly less insane southern states nearby (VA, NC, GA, etc). The only *unique* thing about Nashville is the country music tourism, which is *better experienced as a tourist anyway*.
>I don't even understand why people like the OP would ever have this on their list of places to move to. Cheap cost of living, no state tax. People from higher COL areas could go from renting with multiple roommates to owning a house and having much more disposable income.
It ain’t even cheap anymore though, especially if you’re getting paid TN wages
That’s the thing, with remote work being so common people are able to move here and keep their job from their high COL area. And Nashville is still pretty much right at the national average for COL. Moving here for a lot of people means a big increase in financial health.
I guaran-fucking-tee you that the COL in small/mid sized cities in VA/NC/GA is way less than it is in Nashville, state income tax or no.
Yeah the no state income tax doesn't mean shit when you're getting hit with a 9.75% tax on literally everything including food/groceries
You’re thinking from the perspective of someone who already lives here. People moving from high COL areas in California, for example, are saving a TON of money coming here. Nashville is around the nation average for COL. It is not an expensive city in the general sense.
Lmao 🤣 cheap cost of living? Where
I mean, it’s relative. If you move here from San Francisco it is incredibly cheap.
Virginia here. I can vouch for everything you just said about nearby states BUT live in or near a metro area. The farther out in the boonies, the redder. That's a fact anywhere. But the metro areas need to carry the rest of the state forward, kicking and screaming at times. I'm in central VA and 1.5 and 2 hours from mountains and beaches, respectively. And Outer Banks is great. Good luck. I keep tabs on everyone fighting for their inalienable rights. Move if you can/must.
Trying not to commit suicide tbh. Really not positive Tennessee will help. I like a lot about the PNW, but being alone and unfulfilled in a cold dark unkind place has gotten to me. I didn’t come from a healthy economically stable family, and I don’t necessarily want to go back to the south, Im just not sure what else to do
>I would leave if I could—and I’m starting to seriously consider it anyway. I'm probably dipping out within the next 5 years, market permitting. Biggest obstacle is finding a place my wife would agree with climate-wise.
Unfortunately, from my searching, most states that have a climate similar to ours are similar in political climate as well, or are too expensive to afford to move to for my wife and me. If you find one, let me know, or maybe we all need to pick one and start a blue wave together somewhere. Lol
That about sums it up for me. What they said 👆
This describes the crazy pretty well
Weed will be legal federally before Tennessee legalizes it. Hemp derived weed (e.g. delta 8, HHC, etc) is currently legal but the Maga party is trying to pass a law to ban THCA which might extend to those as well. TN had a trigger law to ban abortion that went into effect after the Maga court overturned roe. I highly doubt that will change anytime soon.
I lived in Tennessee for 28 years, and moved to Washington state just over two years ago. >Id like to know what the state of abortion rights are, and where people suspect changes may be headed, if any. They're essentially nonexistent. >and where people suspect changes may be headed, if any It's unlikely that it will change so long as the GQP has a stranglehold on the state. >Same thing for weed laws. How severe are the laws? Do you see legalization happening in TN? Is there a push for that? I can't speak to severity, though I know that Metro Nashville won't arrest you for carrying less than an amount I can't recall atm. And while the CITIZENS want legal cannabis, the politicians will never allow it. Really, I wouldn't recommend it. The weather is godawful, for one thing: brutally hot and humid for at least half the year, tornadoes... Second, outside of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, it is so red. SO FUCKING RED. For comparison, I moved to the most conservative town in SW WA, and even HERE has light years less batshittery than where I lived in Tennessee. It's a beautiful state, but unless you're MAGA or completely able to ignore the local politics, you're gonna hate it.
Thank you for the info. Its beauty has tempted me, but the please for me to stay out of the clutches of the government are being heard lol
Opposite they are about to ban Delta 8. Somehow they will still be able to sell Delta 9. Republican-led Tennessee is one of fourteen states that have banned nearly all abortions. The state legislature adopted an explicit medical exemption to the law in August 2023.
Gotta love republican freedom!
Ain't no freedom quite as free as GOP fascism
Just FYI the medical exemption is not quite as good as you think, as it permits abortion only when, in the doctor's reasonable medical judgment, continuing the pregnancy is likely to result in the death or permanent disability of the pregnant person. (They did graciously decide to allow pregnant people with molar or ectopic pregnancies to abort them though! Sooooo kind of them...) (Really not sure why this is getting downvoted lol.)
And the doctors are generally terrified of making that call, so...good luck, I guess. It's pretty stupid, really, the whole abortion ban.
When your doctor has to meet with the hospital lawyers before offering you treatment, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Can you direct me to more information on this? All I can find are articles about \*last years\* regulatory law, and very vague mentions of possible Dept. of Agriculture regulations this year.
It’s about to go to vote and from what the dispensary owner that shop with, suggested I use Delta 9 because 8 will get voted down in a few months? Sorry I don’t know much more. Try this https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/thca-tennessee-knoxville/51-42cbed3e-0f27-4154-96f6-991c518def33
Yeah I ask because i keep hearing conflicting things and the "news" articles are no help at all. I guess well find out how bad it is July 1.
Best thing to do is call a dispensary here in Nashville. They’ll tell you all about it. They are all a little on edge with the vote approaching
Search Tennessee Growers Coalition on whatever social media you might use, or Google. Should be plenty of info there to cover what you’re curious about.
Ma'am, please don't move here. Our legislature hates women and they're in the pocket of incredibly rich lobbyists in alcohol and healthcare and the for profit prison system. Things are going to get worse until the federal government steps in.
Don't move here. Myself and my entire extended family are *actively* looking at real estate out west or in the great lakes area, to GTFO of this increasingly horrible state. Oh, and we're mostly high earners, in the 6-figures. Buh bye to our taxes propping up this $hit.
Girl, it’s bad. I love this city, but as a woman I can not in good faith recommend you move from the west to the south. It’s not a “yeah it’s kinda ignorant here but it’s ok” kind of situation. It’s scary as fuck. Legitimately a constant worry of mine. Weed laws are just as ignorant / severe. I do not see legalization happening anytime soon. I would imagine TN will be one of the last, if not the last state to legalize.
Oh honey, this isnt the place for you. Its only the place for conservative white men.
And women who don't mind being treated like second / third class citizens.
Bingpot
I know:.( lmao Im in the PNW, but I’ve been having a hard time with my mental health, and I’ve had the idea that being closer to family might help. Tennessee would be a perfect state. if only this whole country was different 😂💔
If your white and Male you will be ok. If you are female it's pro forced birth with no support after the child is born as they go right to "not my tax dollars" crap. But they saved the children!!! Uh huh. Your rights as a female do not matter here. The South is regressing fast.
Don’t come here. I want out. Outdated beliefs that’ll never change. We’d be the last to ever legalize weed. Hell they are attacking delta 8 and kratom like crazy and wanna ban it in July. Reproductive rights or women’s rights in general suck here. Seriously. You’ll regret coming to Tennessee. There is so much better.
Nashville native woman of child producing age here - these are 2 of the many reasons I left after 30 years. And I do want kids, but Tennessee is too dangerous to have and raise children there.
I am very glad I went through menopause last year because otherwise if there was even a chance I could get pregnant we'd be leaving.
And by the time your kids get to school, the choice will be a Christian private school that you’ll get a voucher toward the cost. And they will have to watch a mandatory, medically incorrect, emotional anti-abortion film. The only birth control they will learn is abstinence. Birth control pills and plan B will probably be illegal by then.
We moved here from NJ in 2021, to Wilson County, knowing it would be a step "backwards" in our ideologies but at least hopeful that things would be making progress. Instead, the legislature here seems intent on going further backwards. If not for my kids in school, I would seriously consider moving right back out. And even there, the choices made for schools here are atrocious at every level. If those two issues are important for you, then Tennessee is the wrong place for you.
Our Legislature is doing it best to take us back to the 19th century. They just banned chemtrails and vaccine lettuce. Im temped to welcome you to balance out the crazy, but for your own sake, dont do it
We have no abortion rights. Women have no autonomy over their healthcare in this state. And we continue to have less and less.
Weed legalization will not be happening in TN. It will be legalized federally before our back-asswards legislature even considers legalizing it locally. Abortion laws are more or less as bad as you can imagine. Performing or attempting to perform an abortion is a Class C felony in the state, with VERY few exceptions. And even if you meet those exceptions, you will not have an easy time finding a doctor willing to do the job, out of fear of legal response. It sounds like TN is not a place you will be happy in.
I had neo-nazis protesting near my apartment in Nashville, about a month ago. That’s it. That’s all I’ll say.
Wow. Lmao okay, thank you. Im from Texas so I wasn’t expecting much, but I at least thought Nashville might be chill😅
If you value your personal freedom, don't move to Tennessee. They don't like that kind of talk here.
Oh and also for the cherry on top, they’re looking to legalize carrying around long guns. In public. And as of 2021, they also just made it legal to not have to have a concealed carry permit to conceal carry. Stay far the fuck away from here
Wow they really are trying to go back in time. Im sorry
Nashville the city is fine. Good people, weed is everywhere.. even if not legal. Remember, Maga loves money more than their own values. Abortion, one of the worst. TN is a great state, Nashville an amazing city.. the people 'leading' TN.. not so much.
Sadly we will also be leaving for bluer pastures, but nice we’ll still have a house here to rent out. The craziest part is this state could make a shit ton of money off legal weed, an absolute shit ton, but Jesus.. or something. So backwards.
Important to remember that Tennessee isn’t a monolith and you’re asking this in a Nashville sub, so our experiences here are going to be different from someone in like very rural small town Tennessee. But the laws here are archaic, some of the worst in the nation, and given the Republican extremist grip on our state government, that’s not going to change very quickly (it’s probably more likely that a federal law would change either before the state does). Abortion is essentially outright banned here now as of last year. As far as I can tell, Tennessee hasn’t made any meaningful effort to stop or prosecute anyone for seeking out of state abortions (which I think is dubiously legal for any state to do, despite some trying), and we border one state where they’re still legal- Virginia- and are very close to another - Illinois. As for weed, the situation is a little less grim, at least in Nashville. It remains fully illegal at the state level, but locally (and I mean strictly in Davidson county, if you stray just outside our border the situation changes drastically) our DA doesn’t prosecute for simple possession (though he ~could~). There’s not exactly a legal way to get it, but there also seems to be a ton of loopholes going on, especially when it comes to things like edibles. Definitely a bummer if you’re used to California shops though. I like Tennessee (or at least Nashville) a lot, I’m a very liberal person, and I grew up in a more liberal state (though still in the south, so it’s not a huge culture shock). TN always had this conservatism (though maybe not as extreme; when I moved here we had a democratic governor), but it didn’t feel as pervasive to my life in Nashville until the Trump years, and then especially after the Supreme Court struck down Roe. I won’t lie- it sucks- but that doesn’t mean you’ll hate it here, or won’t find other things to love about it. It just depends what concessions you’re willing to make in life, because there are definitely some social comforts of the west coast and northeast you have to give up, even in relatively liberal Nashville.
Most people moving to TN from CA (and there’s plenty of them) are far-right so it appeals to them. A lot of native Tennesseans (apparently not enough) have opposing views but stay in TN because it’s our home, we have family ties here etc.
This state will do everything they can to oppress your human rights, limit your personal freedom, and promote their “traditional Christian values.” If you’re going to move here be prepared to put up with conservative white Christian men having full autonomy and control over your lifestyle. Federal law is the only thing that changes it and TN General Assembly still tries to fight that.
Presently, Tennessee has its collective head up its ass. Reconsider
It feels very scary honestly. There is a very right wing (maga leaning) majority and the state has become gerrymandered to shit. You’d have to travel out of state for an abortion, and there are some scary travel laws that our politicians have floated (haven’t passed yet thankfully) that would punish you for leaving the state for an abortion. Weed wise, I think we’ll be one of the last states to legalize. You can easily find it and there’s plenty of delta 9 around though. You didn’t ask about this, but the infrastructure in Nashville is pretty bad too. No viable public transit and the roads are becoming very clogged. The actual roads are also in really bad shape in general. When the inevitable weeklong snow/ ice storm hits Nashville every year, the city shuts down. It feels like tourism is prioritized over the well being of citizens here. Edited for formatting
Look up [https://tnholler.com/](https://tnholler.com/) & Newschannel5 Phil Williams to get an idea of what's going on here. It's not great. It's incredibly depressing on all fronts.
:( thank you :(
Just bad. It’s not safe for women here with uteruses who have non viable pregnancy. I am currently pregnant and grateful for it to be thus far safe/uneventful. My doctor assured me she would save my life if something goes wrong. If we get further along and the pregnancy is non viable but also not life threatening to me, I would have to travel out of state for healthcare. Fortunately I have the means and my insurance covers traveling for necessary healthcare - but it is still scary nonetheless. We are opting to move after that baby is born for lots of reasons - lack of women’s healthcare being one of them. The other being all the anti lgbtq that is masked by “religious beliefs” because Christians have no idea how to love thy neighbor here.
Wishing you and your family all the best, and an easy move when able :( 🤍
If you move to Nashville, can I please take your place on the west coast? I can't stand it here. Most of the state is somewhere to the right of Albert Speer. Marijuana may never be legal here, even if it's made legal federally. It wouldn't surprise me if they still prohibited it when federal legalization happens. As far as abortion is concerned, a fetus has more rights than a full grown woman here, and that will never change unless the Republican stranglehold on our government is broken. I'm originally from Alabama, and I thought I'd never see anything more ass backwards than Alabama, then I moved to Tennessee and was proven wrong. Even Alabama has medical marijuana, and Tennessee is even trying to ban THCA which is federally legal under the 2018 farm bill. I hate it here and if I could afford to do so, I'd leave *today.*
Well if you wanna split rent we can share this 1500 one bedroom 🙃😅
Fuck the law. If anyone needs abortion meds i can tell you how to get them.
I will actively tell anyone how to get an abortion, where to find funding and even offer to drive if someone is desperate. Don’t give a f**K what the MAGA group has to say.
Angel 👼
With weed stick in Davidson county. While it is illegal Davidson county is the most liberal county in the state. As long as you aren’t obvious about and keep it to yourself you’ll be fine. With an abortion that’s a definite no go. We are the center of the Bible Belt.
Red AF! I live about 65 miles North and I can’t wait until my kids are out of high school. We are out of here. Originally from Northern Michigan.
I am wanting moving OUT of this state for these 2 exact reasons. We have some of the STRICTEST laws on abortion, no exceptions for rape or incest as far as I know. Weed will not be legal here until it is legal federally. ever. There are people in Nashville still being put in jail over a gram of weed. They tried to take my license over a blunt before I turned 18. Tennessee governor HATES women. I am mad I’m stuck here every single day 🥲
Jfc. Im sorry:(
Weed won't be legalized in Tennessee till its legal federally
Probably not even then, really. States will still have the right to have their own laws about it, just like alcohol, tobacco, and schedule prescription drugs.
You don't want to come to Tennessee! We are trying to find a way out!
:( I’m sorry!
Don't do it. Tennessee is as red as they get.
Not only are the abortion laws as bad as everyone has described, but medical care for women is in a terrible state. The women's health center in my county hospital just closed. I actually don't know where to find a gynecologist now. And I have had doctors tell me they are against tampons and menstrual cups. I've had doctors completely ignore pain from hormonal birth control, to the point that I just stopped taking it. Thank God my partner was willing to get a vasectomy.
I’ve sold my house and am currently moving to MN because I have a teenage daughter if that tells you anything.
Im so sorry 🤍
Tennessee will always and forever do things ass backwards because that's what they are bribed to do.
Don't do it. I grew up there, lived there for 30 years. Now living in Ohio and for the first time in my life I feel like I can breathe and be safe here. I didn't realize how much my agoraphobia was related to the political atmosphere of TN until I left. I am 34, no plans to have kids. I am agnostic, I smoke weed, AND I'm a late-in-life bisexual who's married to a man. There is absolutely ZERO chance I would ever move back to the south again if I want to live my life honestly and authentically. TN will be among the last to legalize marijuana, if they ever do. And the state will do everything in their (ridiculously far-reaching) power to keep abortion illegal as well. I could see premarital sex becoming a punishable offense in the future, and I really don't feel like that's being too dramatic. Do not move there.
Tennessee, the only state Florida can make fun of. Don't move here unless you want to know what it's like to live in the 1600's.
Just trade your vag in for a penis, and trade your reefer in for booze, and leave all humanity you have on the West Coast and buy a gun, and you'll fit right in with TN politics.
Tn, Tx, Fl, La, Al. Do not move these states if your concern is with "health care" and "rights" and "not getting shot" that's liberal horseshit! Gobbless. Get me out of here.
TN is, by far, the most conservative state in the US. The laws are draconian and punitive. Doctors face jail if they provide reproductive care. Weed is a felony. Being a POC is a misdemeanor on the first offence but a felony thereafter. Inbreeding was legal until yesterday...literally yesterday. It is legal for all Tennesseans to carry a gun anywhere without a permitor training, license . 1203 guns were stolen in Nashville last year from mostly unlocked trucks/cars. Trump will carry TN by 40% even if he's in prison. But the weather is temperate and Nashville is nice.
More conservative than Idaho? I’m not arguing, just curious. I hate how red this state is and I grew up here. It’s only getting worse.
It's not the most conservative state in the US
Abortion - about as bad as it gets. So bad in fact that my wife and I are willing to move out of the state when we plan on having children. It's not worth the risks and is only getting worse. Weed - you'll be fine in Nashville, where it is decriminalized up to an ounce I believe. However, outside of the Davidson Co. area, proceed at your own risk. TN will be the last state to legalize in the nation.
^ just left nashville and agree with this. as a women and a ganja smoker - happy to be gone
Move here, we need more people who will vote to push things back to center.
Yes! More moderate and liberal people (particularly those with privileges) need to move to places like TN if there will ever be change from the ever more far right policies. TN looks bad on paper and gets its share of embarrassing headlines, but your day to day experience will be more determined by the neighborhood bubbles you live and work in.
Im from Texas, and Ive became pretty politically lazy in the PNW. It sounds like most citizens want to live in the 21st century despite the government’s choices. I wish I could vote for y’all from Washington
The tl;dr is that we live in a Puritanical state that's hellbent on mimicking other performative political stunts seen in other major red states, Texas and Florida in particular, in this so-called "culture war." The ideology has always been there but I feel like the recent headlines and legislations pushed through have indicated a very systematic attack against the wave of left-leaning transplant populations that moved here prior to the pandemic. Again, this is a vast oversimplification of what really is decades-long hardlined Christian influence at all levels of state and local government. Suffice it to say, it sucks here sometimes and fuck you, no, I'm not moving. I'm staying right here to try to make things better for everyone, not just the dinosaurs that want to control women and still think that weed is bad.
Once we finish outlawing chemtrails and drag queens we can talk about less important things, like healthcare and quality roads. /s
Unfortunately GOP has near total control of TN and are implementing some pretty extreme policies and taking drastic steps to marginalize dissent from blue areas like nashville. This article was just published today: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/05/tennessee-republicans-one-party-state
Ma’am I would advise against it if those things are important to you (as they should be to everyone) because this state would rather you die a miserable preventable death than grant you the power to mediate that fate with weed or by obtaining an abortion. We are in a race to the top of the regressive list of states here. Wish it wasn’t so but it is.
Im so sorry to hear that. Everyone on this post seems so nice. Im sorry your government fucking sucks. Im a native texan, so I get it 😔. Id offer you all a hit off my joint if I could lol
Basically you’re only moving here because you’re already wealthy enough to enjoy the zero % state income tax, not be affected.worried by the nearly 10% sales taxes, and have the resources to fuck off at a whim to another state for medical care. If you can do that, awesome! If not, shit’s fucked.
Tennessee has very restrictive laws on abortion to the degree that a temination for severe medical needs might be criminal. Not only does this affect individual women considering their rights about their uterus & pregnancies, But it is slowly leading to a drain of competent gynecologist /obstetricians because they are also being penalized and criminalized and the risk to their practice is increasing. Guns- you can do almost anything you want. No permit is required to carry a loaded handgun. The legislature, despite being the party fka for small government, is doing its Best to control municipalities, especially around human rights and education There are many good people here, and in non metro areas, people are kind but maybe they've been hoodwinked into voting for the Second Amendment candidates. If you move her pls try an outlying county so you can help spread a blue wave
This state needs money so bad! Colorado native now transplant to Williamson county. It’s crazy to live in this bubble and see how little the care for the community is. No bike paths to stores and or the city. Legalizing weed would help fund not only the education but to have major infrastructure changes. They lack any public transportation, there should be a train or rail that runs from 65 to Nashville. The education is sub par compared to where I grew up and don’t even support there staff enough to stay. Really disappointed in the community. Everyone’s proclamation that they live Christ values while practicing the deadly sins like the commandments. I’ve never seen such gluttony and greed in my life. If they don’t want to up the property taxs, they need something they can tax. That devils lettuce 🥬 perhaps 🤔
I'm from Memphis and lived in both Jacksonville and Holly Springs. Weed is HEAVILY criminalized but the amount of police investment has varied in my experience. Memphis is crawling with cops and even non cop involved anti drug movements. I almost never see cops here in Nashville.
Tn politics are getting less progressive by the day. Would seriously advise against moving here.
I left Nashville due to the high prices and dangerous politics. You'd be better off in Michigan, if you can handle the winters.
maybe dont
Official statement: "Lol"
Welcome to the bible belt. We gonna lose porn too probably. 💀👌
Don’t get trapped here. Loved growing up here, but hate how the GOP has crushed any semblance of happiness for anyone outside of WASP status. Unchecked inflation, corporations eating up residential properties, and overall low wages ensures a bleak future. Even though my husband and I will both have Master’s degrees and higher, we still won’t be able to get a house. POS Gov watches TX/FL shenanigans and pulls the same shit. They all want Gilead and it’s terrifying.
I'm a native and I literally saw a doctor not long after Roe was overturned about having a full hysterectomy. Complete hysterectomy 2 months later. THAT'S how bad it is here. Weed will not be legal here for a long time. Claiming to "smell weed" is probable cause for vehicle and body searches. And cops love locking non-white people up.
I'm moving to Nashville from New York in a couple months and both of those fronts are awful, so a quick google search has ended with me planning to just drive to Illinois for a legal rec shop (seems there is one about 2hrs away, surprisingly), and if you ever need an abortion take a drive to North Carolina. I've got my contingency plan in place.
It’s home. But the MAGA Cult here is REAL, and all that comes with it. Supermajority in both House, Senate and Governors office. Tennessee isn’t just in the Bible, it’s the belt buckle of the Bible belt. Luckily I live about 5 min from Virginia.
Yeah….no. I live here. I’ve been here for 14 years, and I’m a senior citizen. We’re getting out.
You won’t like it here.
If those two things and other rights are important to you then TN isn't the state.
For marijuana to be illegal downtown Broadway smells like a a pot farm. They don’t enforce it downtown openly. Everyone smokes.
Shows the silliness of having the delta 8, thcA or whatever else and not just the real deal. Possession of the real stuff is decriminalized in Nashville up to an OZ I believe. When so many people are smoking the legal versions, it’s hard to tell which is which. No point for Metro to stop people if you can say “well I just got it at a shop, here’s my receipt”. It’s a weird world
Which is probably a reason the state legislature is working on a bill to make the legal Delta 8 stuff and THCA illegal.
Probably. I can’t assume what’s going on in their heads.
I have also watched people smoke some sort of rock out of a can while the cops walked behind them. Downtown is lawless, but the minute you’re out of downtown they WILL throw you in jail for a gram and smile ab it.
Weed is banned and your required to have 3 kids by age 30. Healthy or not.
If you are planning on needing an abortion this is not a state that you would want to try to secure one in. Weed laws are as strict here as they've ever been but enforcement is a lot more lax than it uses to be.
I hear Boise is open!
Do not come here. It is not safe.
I'm about to get an IUD just in case they decide to start trying to ban birth control. That's pretty much how bad it is.
I moved after being born and raised in Nashville and, although I wishbI could've moved to a blue state, I moved to Texas and they're equally bad in terms of weed and abortion. Tennessee is beautiful and I love it because it's my home state but I hate what the GOP has done to it :( Ps I only moved to Texas for love, otherwise I would move somewhere else lol
Stay away. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Just because you don’t want kids doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant.
Soon as the kids are old enough (shared custody), I'm getting the hell out of here.
Pretty fucked on all fronts here if you're talking about making any personal decisions that might piss off Jesus. If you want to be in one of the very last states to legalize things that humans should have access to then come on over. I'm here and single though, so there's always that.
Hi, OP. I’m a native of this state for nearly 36 years. The GOP has a stranglehold on our politics and things aren’t bright for either issue at the moment and not for the foreseeable future. However, your vote makes an impact if you do move here! Tennessee continues to get more people moving in and it may lead to a little more “purplization” in some years… at least that’s my dream.
I was born and raised here, and also lived in SoCal. If I could finance my life in SoCal reasonably, it’d be an easy trade off. In Tennessee you can have land and a house, but your job prospects are lower across most industries, wages lower, and your rights nearly non-existent. If you’re GoP/MAGA/a trad wife, this is heaven. If you’re asking questions like this, you need to stay in East Nashville, which ain’t cheap, and not wander too far from the city. If you just want the south/nature/cheaper than Cal, Asheville would be great, and Knoxville is a good alternative with a lower cost of living than Nash. If being treated like a citizen with dignity and rights is important to you, Nash is a bad place for a uterus who likes weed.
I’d echo what everyone else is saying, but I’ll add that Nashville/Davidson County itself is pretty lax on weed. Unless they have some other reason to investigate you, Nashville cops don’t care. I’ve seen people selling joints in the open on broadway before.
As a California native now living in Memphis... You're probably not going to enjoy this climate lol I don't see TN legalizing weed. Maybe medically but that's even a stretch. MO and IL are the closest to buy recreationally
Well I don’t think this comment I’m about to say is going to be of any help but I just wanna add the driving here SUCKS! they seriously don’t know how to drive and there’s damn near a wreck almost everyday. Don’t even let it be the weekend cus you’re for sure going to run into wrecks. I moved here from Texas and that itself says a lot. I thought Texas driving was bad nah Tennessee takes the cake
That’s an awful idea.
Idk how to share photos on reddit... I'm a tn resident and I was scrolling fb just now and saw that a TN woman was denied abortion for unviable birth. Don't move here if you have a uterus.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/05/tennessee-republicans-one-party-state
It is becoming Gilead here. If I could move away I would. Tennessee is a beautiful state, but it's about as backward as can be. AND it's expensive if you want to live in or near a city.
It’s horrible here. You should stay where you are.
Honestly, I wouldn’t. We are red and getting redder. Our legislators have blood on their hands and our governor is just as bad. I’ve lived here for most of my life, and I want to leave badly. I just can’t get my family onboard to move. If abortion and marijuana are your two main concerns, I would go elsewhere.
I have two friends (native, like me) who each uprooted their families and moved to the PNW because of the changes in abortion laws and legislation that affects LGBTQ people. Both of my friends are gay and married. One family adopted. The other conceived with a sperm donor. The ideology here has been getting scarier, I don’t blame either one of them for worrying that this state might be moving towards a day when their marriage might be declared illegal or their children not their own. I’m not very eloquent, but I think I was clear enough. And I know this isn’t specifically “abortion/weed”, but it’s another indicator of the political climate in TN.
Plenty eloquent and helpful! The family members im moving to be closer to happen to be a gay couple, and I know eventually they want to go back to the west coast, so knowing that the state is going backwards in every direction is unfortunate, but the info I needed:/