BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's governor is asking President Donald Trump to shield states' medical marijuana programs from federal prosecutors.
In a letter sent Tuesday to the White House, Gov. John Bel Edwards asked the president to "ensure the safe distribution of this life-changing form of treatment" without threat of federal prosecution.
The Democratic governor's letter came after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week he was ending an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on legalized pot.
Louisiana's medical marijuana program is just getting organized, with plans to have product available to patients by the summer.
Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson already has seemed to suggest Louisiana's burgeoning program won't be impacted, saying he doesn't "anticipate a significant change" in enforcement of marijuana activities in his Baton Rouge-based district.
-By Melinda Deslatte, Associated Press
