Here’s their letter
With growing support for cannabis reform all across the nation and Washington, D.C. being deluged by legalization bills, a tripartisan group of senators from the Senate Armed Services Committee have penned a letter urging President Biden to sign the legislation as is, and to keep intact the language already passed in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The tripartisan group of senators, which included Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Gary Peters (D-MI), Angus King (I-ME), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), sent a letter to the chamber encouraging the must-pass legislation, with this to say:
“Allowing cannabis businesses operating legally and in compliance with state law to access financial services without federal reprisal would address public safety and compliance challenges, helping communities reduce cash-motivated crimes,” their letter stated
Passing the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act through NDAA “would support a rapidly growing industry that creates jobs, supports small businesses, and raises revenue in states that have chosen to legalize cannabis, while reducing safety risks,” the letter goes on to say,
“The bill’s list of co-sponsors is also bipartisan in both the House and the Senate. Given the demonstrated broad support for this measure, we ask you to ensure that the text of the SAFE Banking Act remain in the forthcoming final conference version of the FY22 NDAA by the Senate receding to the House of Representatives on Title LIV of H.R.4350 (Sections 5401 through 5415),” the letter concludes. “This will help cannabis-related businesses, create jobs, and strengthen public safety in our communities.”
Only one day after the group of Senators from the Senate Armed Services Committee sent their letter, two senators from Colorado added their voices to the clarion call for cannabis reform.
In a letter published one day later, Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) had this to say:
“Without federally-approved banking services, state-licensed cannabis businesses cannot write checks, make or receive electronic payments, utilize a payroll provider, or accept credit and debit cards,” the new letter from the Colorado senators says. “This is a serious public safety risk for our communities, inviting theft, tax evasion, robberies, burglaries, or worse.”
“This is a serious public safety risk for our communities, inviting theft, tax evasion, robberies, burglaries, or worse. In Denver, cannabis businesses make up less than 1% of all local businesses, but accounted for 10% of reported business burglaries from 2012 to 20161. Cash-only industries also complicate tracking revenues for purposes of taxation and regulatory compliance.”
“Including the SAFE Banking Amendment in the NDAA will align federal and state laws, promote economic growth and public safety, and increase access to the cannabis industry for underrepresented individuals. Congress has a responsibility to address inequities and public safety concerns that exist as a result of current law. We commend you on your leadership and commitment to our national security, and we urge you to preserve this bipartisan provision in the final FY 2022 NDAA conference agreement.”
