federal marijuana laws News

House Passes SAFE Marijuana Banking Bill by Big Margin

The U.S. House advanced legislation designed to let banks do business with cannabis companies in states that permit marijuana sales, a step that some supporters see as helping to pave the way to nationwide legalization. The Secure and Fair Enforcement …

The Politics Behind the Push for a Federal Marijuana Business Banking Law

Senator Jeff Merkley once shadowed a cannabis grower and dispenser as he tried to pay his state taxes. He stuffed a backpack with $70,000 in $20 bills and drove 50 miles — unguarded — with the bulging bag in the …

Trump ‘Probably’ Will Back Lifting Federal Ban on Marijuana

President Donald Trump said last Friday that he was inclined to support a bipartisan effort in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana, a proposal that would dramatically reshape the nation’s legal landscape for pot users and businesses. The …

Judge Nixes Medical Benefits Challenge to Federal Marijuana Laws

A judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit challenging federal laws criminalizing marijuana as unconstitutional, saying the five plaintiffs had failed to pursue changes in the drug’s legal status by first going through the Drug Enforcement Administration. U.S. District Judge Alvin …

Lawyers Handling Marijuana Business Operate in Hazy Legal Zone

Just as entrepreneurs getting into the retail pot industry need a good lawyer, some of those lawyers might be wise to consult an attorney of their own. Lawyers in the burgeoning business are entering a legal gray zone where the …

Marijuana Task Force Undercuts Hard Line by Attorney General Sessions

The betting was that law-and-order Attorney General Jeff Sessions would come out against the legalized marijuana industry with guns blazing. But the task force Sessions assembled to find the best legal strategy is giving him no ammunition, according to documents …

Bipartisan Senators Look to Address Banking Risk for Marijuana Industry

Republican and Democratic senators on Wednesday renewed their drive to make banking easier for marijuana-based businesses in those U.S. states where the drug is legal, undeterred by signals from the Trump administration about maintaining tough marijuana restrictions nationally. The eight …