Jeenah Moon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThis week, the Department of Health and Human Services asked the Drug Enforcement Agency to consider easing restrictions on marijuana upon a review of its classification under the Controlled Substances Act. It could be a significant catalyst for an industry hemmed in by federal regulations even as legalization picks up on the state level. Marijuana is legal in 39 states medically and 23 states recreationally. If marijuana moves down to a Schedule III substance, this will effectively ease a number of restrictions holding the sector back. While many states have legal markets within their borders, transporting Schedule I substances across state lines in illegal, resulting in a glut of marijuana in some states.

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