Businesses that deal with recreational marijuana in states where it has been legalized may be in for a tough road ahead.
Even in states that have voted to legalize recreational use, marijuana is technically illegal on a federal level. A 2014 law protects states that have legalized medical marijuana use from federal interference. But the eight states and the District of Columbia that have legalized recreational use don’t have those same protections.
Marijuana Business News Signals Troubles Ahead
The Obama administration generally respected those state laws when it came to drug enforcement issues. But it might not be the same under President Trump. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been a staunch opponent of marijuana legalization in the past. And Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer recently said that he thinks more enforcement is forthcoming.
It’s a tough situation for businesses that operate in the states where recreational use has been legalized and where they haven’t faced much in the way of enforcement up to this point. These businesses, for the most part, have been trying to do things in a legal way. But the federal law hasn’t kept up with changing state laws. So businesses may have to make serious adjustments in order to stay viable in the coming years.
Marijuana Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “Marijuana Businesses Could Face Struggles in the Coming Years (Watch)” was first published on Small Business Trends