Why legalize pot banking?

by: Henry Meier

With snow coming the Meier family has decided to head over the river and through the woods to Grand Ma’s house on Long Island a little earlier than originally planned (I can hear someone in Buffalo saying “Snow! They call six inches Snow!”). There is a fair amount I want to tell you about before my hiatus so here goes.

Will NCUA approve a pot CU? 

Now that Colorado has approved a state charter for a credit union dedicated to providing financing for the state’s nascent marijuana industry NCUA will have to decide whether or not to federally insure the institution. I’ve written several blogs about the legal difficulties of providing pot financing. Marijuana remains illegal as a matter of federal law and even though federal prosecutors have indicated that they would turn a blind eye to institutions providing banking services in states where pot use is legal, finding financial institutions willing to open up businesses for ganja related businesses has proven to be difficult.

I have no idea what NCUA’s ultimate decision will be but I would love to see it deny federal insurance for credit unions created to circumvent federal law.

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