U.S. House Votes to Allow Banks to Accept Deposits from Marijuana Stores and Dispensaries

[Ruby the Liberal]

Cross-posting from GD http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025248473

In a historic vote today the U.S. House passed a bipartisan amendment by Representatives Heck (D-WA), Perlmutter (D-CO), Lee (D-CA) and Rohrabacher (R-CA) preventing the Treasury Department from spending any funding to penalize financial institutions that provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under state law. The amendment passed 231 to 192.

In May, the House passed an amendment prohibiting the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from undermining state medical marijuana laws and passed two amendments prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp laws.

“Congress is yet again rejecting the failed war on marijuana,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “They have read the poll numbers and are doing both what is right and what is politically smart.”

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that nearly three-in-four Americans (72 percent) believe that efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth, including 78 percent of Independents, 71 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans. There is strong support for state medical marijuana programs, with 80 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Independents, and 61 percent of Republicans supporting the sale and use of medical marijuana in their state. A majority of Americans support taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2014/07/us-house-votes-allow-banks-accept-deposits-marijuana-stores-and-dispensaries

Is it me, or is this vote rather stunning? 231-192 in an election year?

[bravenak]

1. Rec!!!!

I am shocked too.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. Yeah, well - what was buried in that POS

Look at the roll call. I just googled it. This was one TINY amendment in a bill containing who knows what. INCLUDING the Harris Amendment to block DC legalization.

Looks like this was a R sweep with massive Dem opposition.

What is buried in this?

Congrats on Rep Heck for getting this in, but my spidy sense is tingling over what else is buried in here...

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/113-2014/h427

[bravenak]

3. Never a clean bill from the house.

I hate them.

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. Roll Call on just the Amendment

Dug a little further and found this...

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/113-2014/h418?utm_campaign=govtrack_feed&utm_source=govtrack/feed&utm_medium=rss

Shining light in darkness, I guess. Now we see what the Senate uncovers in it.

Dem NAY votes:
Sewell, Terri - AL 7th
Sánchez, Linda - CA 38th
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie - FL 23rd
Barrow, John - GA 12th
Lipinski, Daniel - IL 3rd
Keating, William - MA 9th
Dingell, John - MI 12th
Peterson, Collin - MN 7th
McIntyre, Mike - NC 7th
Cuellar, Henry - TX 28th
Matheson, Jim - UT 4th
Rahall, Nick - WV 3rd

[bravenak]

5. I noticed this.

On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 34 to H R 5016
Number:
House Vote #418 [primary source: house.gov]
Date:
Jul 16, 2014 (113th Congress)
Result:
Agreed to
TRACK VOTES
This was a vote to approve or reject an amendment to H.R. 5016.
Your representative Don Young voted Aye.

Anything MY representative votes for, i am against. He is a crappy representative. I remember what he said about the Hispanic workers on his farm.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Your excerpt says your rep votes in favor of the bill

He approves releasing the current restrictions on banks. He is one of the 45?

Mine voted against it. *shocking*

[bravenak]

8. Never trust Don Young.

He's been in office for years. Even the tea party likes him.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. Ha! Heres the rub:

House Passes Spending Bill Slashing Funding For Wall Street Oversight

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014847881

I knew it was something.

[RainDog]

9. I wonder what the sausage will look like

after it's gone through the mill.

This is what's so disgusting about American politics. A hemp amendment gets tacked on to an ag. bill - a bill that harms the poor - but it passes because the Republicans want to cut x or y.

The banking for marijuana gets included in a bill that sets us up for another financial sector implosion - but it passes because the Republicans want to deregulate/defund regulation.

If they were going to pass the bill anyway, at least something gets under the wire - and, of course, the hemp bill was supported by McConnell because of the state ag. money it will bring to the states (his included) grandfathered into the amendment.

The only way to deal with any cannabis issue with Republicans is to make it about money - or to make parents angry... but even with the passage of CBD-only mmj laws - the laws are not being implemented b/c of all the federal barriers and fears from doctors that they will lose their licenses, or availability isn't there... so people in states with new mmj should keep an eye on whether or not those laws were just salves to angry parents - who still need to look elsewhere or move elsewhere so far.