The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a measure Thursday that is intended to ensure marijuana businesses have access to banking services. [caption id="attachment_9016" align="alignright" width="200"] Sen. Jeff Merkley[/caption] The amendment, offered by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, would prohibit the Treasury Department and its enforcement arm, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN, from using federal funds to punish…

According to a Drug Policy Alliance press release, just eight short months after the Federal Justice Department and Treasury Department announced new guidelines permitting banks to work with marijuana businesses, credit unions in New Mexico sent letters to nearly half of the state’s licensed medical marijuana producers stating that they will no longer accept their business and will proceed with closing their bank accounts. The credit unions attest that they are unable to adhere to federal guidelines…