Today is the deadline for small medical marijuana cultivators to apply for a state license. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is pushing for more latitude to prosecute cases against medical marijuana providers. Ohio State University law professor Douglas Berman says that introduced some uncertainty into the market.
Sessions has asked Congress to waive a restriction against using federal appropriations to prosecute medical marijuana cases in states where it is legal. He cites the opioid crisis. But Berman says medical marijuana advocates want it approved as a treatment for opioid addiction and an alternative to prescription painkillers.
Sessions is also revisiting an Obama-era agreement not to pursue cases in recreational marijuana states.