Page 2 - David Postman News Today

SEATTLE -- A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops -- including a pistol-whipping, gunshots and killings in Washington state last month -- is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking changes that would make the cash-dependent stores a less appealing target.

SEATTLE -- A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops -- including a pistol-whipping, gunshots and killings in Washington state last month -- is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking changes that would make the cash-dependent stores a less appealing target.

Colorado Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter introduced the SAFE Banking Act in 2013 soon after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize the regulated sale of marijuana. The House has passed it half a dozen times with bipartisan support, but it has never passed the Senate.

An excerpt from recent editions of the Cannabis Wire Daily newsletter.

SEATTLE (AP) — A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops — including a...

SEATTLE (AP) — A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops — including a...

A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking reforms that would make the cash-dependent stores a less appealing target.

A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking reforms that would make the cash-dependent stores a less appealing target.

Because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, big banks and credit card companies have long been reluctant to work with the industry, leaving the businesses heavily reliant on cash and making them attractive marks for robbers.

A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking reforms that would make the cash-dependent stores less appealing.