LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky hemp company is suing the state of Tennessee over new hemp regulations set to take effect Jan. 1, arguing the rules illegally discriminate against out-of-state businesses.

Cornbread Hemp , based in Louisville, filed the lawsuit this week with help from a law firm providing pro bono representation. The company says Tennessee’s new three-tier regulatory system, modeled after the state’s alcohol distribution rules, would force it to either partner with an in-state wholesaler, establish a Tennessee location, or stop selling to Tennessee customers altogether.

"It's frustrating that it's come to this," Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon said. "We wish we could have resolved this issue in the legislation. We can't leave behind our 11,000 customers who are l

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