National Cannabis Industry Association Applauds Attorney General...

[ProSense]

National Cannabis Industry Association Applauds Attorney General for Committing to a Banking Fix for Marijuana Businesses ‘Very Soon’

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Obama administration will issue guidance allowing banks to serve state-legal marijuana businesses. The legal cannabis industry is projected to produce $2.7B in revenue in 2014, but is currently forced to operate almost entirely in cash.

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) today applauded remarks from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, announcing imminent guidance from the Obama Administration to allow financial institutions to serve state-legal marijuana businesses. ["Holder: Feds to let banks handle pot money." Politico, 1/23/2014]

“For the legal, regulated cannabis industry, this is very welcome news,” said NCIA executive director Aaron Smith. “We have been anxiously awaiting clarity on the banking issue from the Justice and Treasury Departments for many months. To hear that guidance will be issued 'very soon' is encouraging. It’s critical that we fix this issue before February 20, when our Colorado members must pay their first round of state taxes, or the Colorado Department of Revenue may be forced to accept more than $1 million in cash payments.

“We’re grateful to Attorney General Holder and other federal officials who have been working to resolve this crisis. The safety of our members is threatened by the current lack of banking access and this resolution cannot come soon enough."

In the absence of guidance from federal enforcers, most financial institutions have been unwilling to provide even the most basic banking services, such as checking and savings accounts, to medical or adult-use marijuana businesses. This forces state-authorized cannabis businesses to handle their financial transactions, including sales, payroll, taxes, and licensing fees, entirely in cash. The latest projections from industry analysis firm Arcview Market Research indicate that the legal cannabis industry will add $2.7 billion to the American economy in 2014.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/01/prweb11519014.htm

[pipoman]

1. The tip of the iceberg. .

What does this tell the all knowing opponents of legal pot about the historical and ongoing impact of prohibition?

[ProSense]

2. It tells you

"What does this tell the all knowing opponents of legal pot about the historical and ongoing impact of prohibition? "

...resistance is futile, and even the Republican hypocrites know it.

Texas, Louisiana Governors Say They’re Open To Marijuana Reform
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/01/23/3200041/texas-louisiana-governors-open-marijuana-reform/

Wonder if Obama's comments (http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024357535) have anything to do with the Republican rush to embrace the issue?

[pipoman]

3. The repub rush is due to

Their erroneous belief that pot makes people stupid. ..stupid enough to believe their lies. .

[Bluenorthwest]

4. The 'repub rush' is because they smoke like a brush fire.

So many, many posturing conservatives are enormous consumers of cannabis. It might shock you.

[ProSense]

6. That might be true,

"So many, many posturing conservatives are enormous consumers of cannabis. It might shock you. "

...but they have been opposed to it as the piece shows, and it also shows the contradictions in their new pronouncements.

Not surprising though, Republican politicians are rarely interested in the positions of their constituents if those position don't involve discrimination and oppression.

[zabet]

9. From personal experience that I went to jail for.

The posturing conservative was an attorney and a mayor of a resort town. He financed the operation bringing cannabis out of Mexico in the very early 90s. They make more money if it is illegal.

[ProSense]

10. Yes, and

"The posturing conservative was an attorney and a mayor of a resort town. He financed the operation bringing cannabis out of Mexico in the very early 90s. They make more money if it is illegal."

...they have no problem throwing people in jail for smoking it.

[marlakay]

12. I kind of realized what the people want this last election for it

I am in conservative county in wa state, we voted yes on legalizing pot assumed it would fail in our county, but no it passed with good percent. My county still said no on gay marriage and voted in all the repubs but yes on pot.

That tells me, they want it too, to smoke, for money who knows!

[B Calm]

5. It's time for our elected politicians to get off their fat ass and

pay attention to what We the People want legalized nation wide.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. Game over. we win

Once you get the banks into it the Rethugs won't put up a serious fight. Maybe still some lip service but that is about it,

[JaneyVee]

8. Smart move. Bravo!

[Baclava]

11. all about the greenbacks "the legal cannabis industry will add $2.7 billion to the American economy"

With billions pouring into state coffers of course the Feds will want some of it, can't track cash

[Jesus Malverde]

13. bump..nt

[ProSense]

14. An evolving conversation on drug policy

An evolving conversation on drug policy

By Steve Benen

A few months ago, Gallup reported that for the first time, a clear majority of Americans (58%) support legalization of marijuana. When Gallup first polled on this question, in 1969, only 12% endorsed legalization. The results were largely in line with Pew Research Center findings published in April, when it found a narrow majority favoring marijuana legalization...The next question, of course, is whether political leaders would follow the public’s lead, and there’s some evidence that the answer is yes. President Obama, for example, made headlines this week when he suggested marijuana is less dangerous for users than alcohol.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) raised even more eyebrows yesterday when he signaled support for decriminalization.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said Thursday that he is in favor of softening penalties for pot users, touting strides his state has made towards decriminalizing marijuana use.

“As governor, I have begun to implement policies that start us toward a decriminalization,” Perry said at a World Economic Forum panel on drug legalization in Davos, Switzerland. Perry proposed the idea of alternative “drug courts” that provide treatment options and softer punishment for minor offenses.

Though Perry’s spokesperson clarified that the governor has not endorsed legalization, he supports decriminalization and believes states “should be allowed” to legalize the drug if they choose to...It’s worth noting that this appears to be a new position for the Texas Republican. Ana Yañez-Correa, director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, said she was “shocked” by the governor’s comments, adding, “The decriminalization of marijuana is not something Perry has historically supported.”

There’s a real, practical reason developments like these matter.

We talked last fall about U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who made several progressive moves on federal drug policy that represented a genuine breakthrough moment. The nation spent four decades waging a costly and punitive “war on drugs,” which proved to be something of a disaster, and here was the nation’s chief law-enforcement official making clear that it was time for a meaningful policy shift.

Holder wasn’t the first to believe this, but he and the Obama administration were among the first to take the lead in changing the public conversation at the national level. Why did it take so long? The political environment was, to put it mildly, inhospitable...But after the Obama administration endorsed a change, something interesting happened: there was no conservative pushback. There were no attack ads or smear campaigns. Indeed, just the opposite has happened – Rick Perry, whom no one would describe as a moderate in his party, is adopting a new, more progressive posture on marijuana for the first time.

- more -

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/evolving-conversation-drug-policy

[Cha]

15. And, so do I!

thanks ProSense!