A U.S. Senate committee voted on Thursday in support of opening up banking services to state-legal marijuana businesses, according to a release by the
By a vote of 16-14, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, forbidding the use of federal funds to penalize financial institutions that serve marijuana businesses operating legally under state law. The amendment was offered by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
“It’s encouraging to see members of the Senate stepping up and joining the House to address the banking crisis facing our industry,” said
A similar amendment was passed by the full House of Representatives in 2014, but was ultimately stripped out during the final omnibus budget negotiations conducted by the Senate. The House has not yet debated the Financial Services Appropriations bill in 2015, but a repeat of the cannabis banking amendment is anticipated if and when that debate takes place.
The National Cannabis Industry Association is the largest cannabis trade association in the U.S. and the only organization representing cannabis-related businesses at the national level. For more information, head to their
