There are many editing targets of interest in cannabis, including some editing events involving other crops and vegetables. The regulatory path for GE crops is unclear, but it is costly. Many of the GE systems require a transformation system and suffer from the same methodological limitations of transgenics. Even GE systems, which do not require a transgenic delivery system, require a reliable method for generating plants from protoplasts, which is also not a reality today.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the freedom to operate with CRISPR-Cas and other editing methods is uncertain due to litigation around the foundational patents.