SAFE Banking Act

The Cannabis Financial Industry Group (CFIG), a coalition of financial institutions and associated risk-mitigating service providers functioning in the regulated cannabis industry, announced the publication of baseline banking standards for any financial institutions interested...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is reportedly "confident" that a bipartisan marijuana banking bill will successfully pass in Congress this session. The reassurance came from Wanda James, CEO of Colorado-based cannabis company Simply Pure, who spoke with Schumer and other...

Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Blocking Local Marijuana Legalization Advisory Questions On Tuesday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) signed a comprehensive bill that includes a controversial provision preventing local governments from including non-binding advisory questions on the ballot. These...

The issue of marijuana banking has been a pressing concern for the cannabis industry for the past several years. Passed seven times on a bipartisan basis in the House of Representatives, the SAFE Banking Act has never quite had enough support to make it through to the...

Some two weeks after the Senate Banking Committee led by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D), Committee Chair, heard testimony on the SAFE Banking Act, Dama Financial, a cannabis-focused fintech company, opted to amend its testimony, reported Marijuana Moment. Why? In her testimony earlier this...

In a recent discussion on cannabis banking and legalization, Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH) joined Javier Hasse and Patrick Lane on Benzinga Cannabis Insider to discuss the challenges and opportunities around the issue. As a staunch advocate for cannabis banking, Rep. Joyce...

Narcan Vending Machine At California University Santa Clara University (SCU) is installing a free on-campus vending machine that dispenses canisters of the FDA-approved Narcan, a life-saving medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose when administered quickly, reported The Mercury News. According...

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on Thursday to discuss the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would give the cannabis industry access to traditional banking services. The bill, reintroduced by Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Steve Daines, R-Mont.,...

Texas Lawmakers Weigh In On Reducing Marijuana Penalties Texas House members passed a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of cannabis and cannabis concentrates last month, reported Austin Chronicle. House Bill 218 from Rep. Joe Moody (D) would also instruct officers to stop arresting...

On today’s Trade to Black podcast, Shadd Dales and Ben Smith are joined by Rob Sechrist, President of Pelorus Equity Group and Co-Manager of the Pelorus Fund. Sechrist gives us his thoughts on what’s going on now with the beleaguered SAFE Banking Act and it’s upcoming hearing...

Reginald Babin, a veteran lobbyist with expertise in gun policy, cannabis policy and legislative politics sheds light on the challenges of prioritizing issues in Congress and the crucial role of advocates and lobbyists in advancing cannabis reform. "It's a difficult job that involves...

WA State To Award 52 New Social Equity Cannabis Licenses Over Next Ten Years Washington state plans to expand the recreational cannabis market by adding dozens of more marijuana retail shops over the next ten years, reported Axios Seattle. To that end, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed a bill on Monday -...

A group of bipartisan lawmakers including Senators Jeff Merkley (D) and Steve Daines (R) along with Representatives David Joyce (R) and Earl Blumenauer (D) reintroduced a marijuana banking bill last week. Under the Secure and Fair Enforcement (...

A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced a marijuana cannabis banking bill in Congress on Wednesday.  What happened: US Senators Jeff Merkley (D) and Steve Daines (R) along with US Representatives David Joyce (R) and Earl Blumenauer (D) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral...

Minorities for Medical Marijuana, the largest community-based nonprofit in the cannabis and hemp industry, spent 4/20 week walking the halls of Congress for their annual Lobby Days. The event culminated with a Judiciary Committee Markup where a large faction of the organization...