Senate Democrats have been pushing to pass the SAFE Banking Act, which would enable legally operating cannabis firms to use banking services and that supporters say is needed to stop a surge of violent robberies targeting cash-only pot dispensaries.
It could also become part of a bipartisan package that would pair it with provisions to help speed up the expungement of minor cannabis offenses, expand cannabis research and allow veterans to access medical marijuana, reports The Hill.
Among some of the measures lawmakers are eager to add include the Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act, which would authorize $20 million to assist states and local governments in expunging minor cannabis convictions that disproportionately bar people of color from housing, jobs and educational opportunities.
They’re also eyeing the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, a bipartisan bill that would allow doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend medical marijuana to veterans, provide legal protections for veterans who use marijuana and spearhead research into whether marijuana could reduce opioid use among veterans.
However, SAFE Banking advocates worry that adding too many new provisions to the bill could hurt chances of garnering enough Republican support.
