By Duke London

 

Healing thousands of medical patients while providing hundreds of millions in tax revenue, recent marijuana industry reform in America has produced many positive outcomes. Unfortunately, one piece of the unfinished pot puzzle costs lives, and it has nothing to do with the plant.

Marijuana dispensaries can’t access federal banking, a restriction that impacts far more than their bottom lines. The federal government effectively prohibits any bank that insures funds (FDIC) from accepting money from marijuana-related businesses, regardless of the industry’s legal status in that given state. The federal government also forbids credit and debit card companies from processing payments for cannabis-related transactions. Because of these restrictions, dispensaries from California to Connecticut are forced to deal entirely in cash.

A recent escalation in the number of violent robberies has placed enormous pressure on Congress to get their act together and iron out this problem. There is no reason why a business operating legally under state law shouldn’t have access to the same basic banking services utilized by other lawfully-run businesses, especially when the consequences are so dire.

Back on June 8 in Walnut Park, a dispensary owner spotted two armed men in tactical gear approaching his business, one of whom was carrying an assault rifle. The owner fired on the assailants, wounding them and halting the robbery attempt before it could even begin. The injured pair were in critical condition before being released into police custody. Luckily, this situation ended without any loss of life, but it highlights the need for further industry reform.

A 24-year old temporary security guard manning the front door of an Aurora, Colorado dispensary was far less fortunate. Travis Mason was working his post at the Green Heart dispensary when two armed robbers shot him in the head, killing the Marine Corp Veteran. Travis Mason leaves behind his three small children, wife Samantha, and many other friends and family members.

This senseless violence is a direct result of current regulation in the financial sector of the legal marijuana industry. Unfortunately, atrocious incidents like this will likely continue. Federal lawmakers have already decided that marijuana-related businesses are beneficial in over half of the country, so why handcuff these shops when they’re most vulnerable? It simply does not make sense.

On multiple occasions, Bill initiatives have been introduced to incite change in the federal banking laws, only to be rejected by Republican-backed committees seeking to maintain the status quo. Washington State Representative Dennis Heck, who co-sponsored the legislation, was disgusted with Congress’ change of heart. Rep. Heck made sure every member of Congress who opposed the measure knew they had Travis Mason’s blood on their hands, saying, “every single member who opposed allowing this amendment ought to have that young man’s name tattooed on their body to remind them.”