Oklahoma medical marijuana may see issues with federal law

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma medical marijuana operators have expressed varying levels of concern that they’ll face legal difficulties because federal law still classifies marijuana as illegal.

Shawn Jenkins tells The Tulsa World he feels “really comfortable” as he prepares to open a dispensary in Oklahoma. He says he believes he’s done the due diligence to mitigate risks.

But he says others have had mixed feelings about the issue. He says some believe the strong voter approval of medical marijuana and steps to implement the state law will protect them.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a January memo that left the decision regarding marijuana enforcement to local federal prosecutors.

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores is the top federal law enforcement officer in northeast Oklahoma. He says he’s committed to enforcing federal law but is uncertain how he’ll allocate his office’s limited resources.