Medical marijuana caregivers and cultivators in Michigan can’t process their plants without breaking the law as a result of a Michigan Court of Appeals decision this month, according to cannabis lawyers.

“Wet marijuana” — a loose term for the time between when a marijuana plant is cut and fully dried for consumption — is not covered by state law, according to a Court of Appeals ruling July 19.

“Now, they’ve made it so you can’t even comply with the law,” said Matthew Abel, senior partner of Cannabis Counsel LLC. “Obviously, it doesn’t go immediately from being a plant to being dried cannabis. There has to be a drying, or curing process. I think this court lacks some understanding.”

The appeals court case — People v. Vanessa Mansour — stems from an incident in which police raided Mansour’s Troy home, where there were marijuana plants, buds in various stages of drying, and dried marijuana buds. Mansour was a medical marijuana patient.

Mansour’s defense argued that the marijuana that was drying was not usable — and therefore qualified her for immunity under state law and should not be considered as authorities drew up their charges. [Read more at Michigan Live]