It’s the first week of January, and you all know what that means in the blogging game: It’s time to make wild predictions about the coming year. As always, making predictions is hard, particularly when they’re about the...more
In perhaps his most controversial cabinet appointment yet, earlier today, President-elect Trump said he would nominate Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General. Although Gaetz’s nomination was met with skepticism by...more
SAFER Banking Act Heads to Senate Floor - On September 27, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act (S.2860) was reported out from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with...more
Fresh on the heels of intense optimism over the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation that cannabis be rescheduled, another key federal reform is in motion. On September 27, 2023, the Senate Committee will...more
Advocates of the SAFE Banking Act – who by now must be feeling a little like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football – were dealt another setback last week. The beleaguered proposal finds itself simmering in committee just...more
GOP Senator Backs Marijuana Banking Bill, but Doubts Democratic Leadership Will Advance It - “Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), said that he’d be a ‘yes’ vote on the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act if it...more
I. Marijuana - Currently, 31 states plus the District of Columbia allow the recreational use of marijuana. In addition, 37 states and the District of Columbia currently allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes....more
SAFE Banking Updates - The latest iteration of the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act was reintroduced in Congress on April 26, 2023, and received a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee on May...more
SAFE Banking Gets a Senate Hearing - The Senate Banking Committee has scheduled a hearing on May 11 for the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act. The hearing will involve both Republican and Democrat...more
With the recent reintroduction of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, Congress is once again engaged in an effort to achieve a meaningful breakthrough on federal cannabis reform. Understandably, many have...more
For years, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has championed the SAFE Banking Act, a federal bill that would make banking services available to cannabis businesses in states where cannabis is legal. The bill has passed the House...more
As the midterm elections come to an end, we revisit the future of the SAFE Banking Act and the hurdles we expect to see in the coming Congressional term. If passed, the SAFE Banking Act would remove uncertainties surrounding...more
With the anticipation of federal marijuana legalization, the cannabis industry rang in 2021 with sky-high equity values and anticipated social justice reforms seemingly imminent. However, differing ideas regarding how to...more
It is undeniable that, not only is the cannabis industry here to stay, but it is growing exponentially. To date, 47 states, 4 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis in some form – whether they...more
On April 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in a 321-101 vote. The bill has benefitted from bipartisan support after being co-sponsored by a large group of both...more
Introduction - In September 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019”, the first stand-alone cannabis legislation to be approved by the House of...more
The SAFE Banking Act is back. First introduced in 2019, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Act (“SAFE”) passed in the House but died in the Republican-controlled Senate. Now, the bill has been reintroduced in both the House and...more
On Wednesday, November 20, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved, by a vote of 24 to 10, a bill that is being referred to by many advocates as a landmark bill for the cannabis community. This bill, titled the Marijuana...more
Late last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 595, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2019 (the “SAFE Banking Act”). The stated purpose of the SAFE Banking Act is to “increase public safety by...more
With the strike of a gavel on Wednesday, September 25, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019. This bipartisan bill represents the first time a body of...more
On September 25, 2019, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act with a vote of 321 in favor and 103 against. Notwithstanding widespread public support,...more
In a surprise to some, a Republican-controlled Senate Committee has scheduled a hearing to consider the current challenges to providing financial services to cannabis-related businesses operating in states that have legalized...more
116th Congress’ first cannabis-related hearing - Next week, Congress will hold a long-awaited hearing on the future of banking in the cannabis industry. On Wednesday the 13th, the House Financial Services Committee...more
In May, Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions sent a letter to Congress that zeroed in on the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, a cornerstone of federal cannabis legislation that has handcuffed the Department of Justice from...more