Senate to consider giving cannabis businesses access to banking
Senate to consider giving cannabis businesses access to banking
On Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on a bill that would allow banks to serve the cannabis industry without worrying about breaking the law. Right now, it’s very hard for cannabis business owners to open bank accounts — even in states where marijuana is legal.
Dr. Chanda Macias owns a medical marijuana dispensary in Washington D.C. If you want to buy cannabis, gummies or edibles from her, you need cash. Macias can’t take credit or debit cards. She can’t find a bank to process the payments, because marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Marijuana business owners like her have to do everything in cash, Macias said — even making tax payments.
“We have to set up an appointment and send people with thousands, tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars to an IRS facility,” she said.
The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation, or SAFER, Banking Act would ensure that owners of legal cannabis businesses, in states where marijuana is legal, can access banking services like credit card processing and loans.
“It would also provide a clear indication from Congress to bank regulators that they want there to be banking in this space,” said Julie Hill, who teaches law at the University of Alabama.
Banks would still have to certify their marijuana business customers were obeying state laws, such as not selling to minors or growing without a permit, Hill added.
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