Reps. Perlmutter, Smith And Rogers Urge Marijuana Banking Be Added To National Defense Bill, Call Schumer An Obstacle

Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), in referring to the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act during a House Rules Committee meeting, noted that this is the second consecutive year he's filed an amendment seeking to add cannabis banking language to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“I’m trying to figure out every path possible to get this thing done so that fewer people are killed,” Perlmutter said, referring to deadly robberies at cash-intensive dispensaries. “And this does involve international cartels, so that really is the nexus to the NDAA, the criminal international component to this.”

However, Perlmutter also said “there is a hope that we can move forward with SAFE Banking as the nucleus for a slightly broader type of effort” outside of NDAA.

"The issue is crucially important, and it’s deeply troubling to me that we can’t get the Senate to agree with us and address this,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who agreed with Perlmutter's position.

However, Smith added that "there’s a chance SAFE Banking won’t be enacted through the vehicle again this time despite their mutual agreement that it should be."

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), a member of Armed Services, also supports the banking measure, "but the problem is that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) represents an obstacle as he continues to push for more comprehensive reform before advancing the incremental legislation." 

Perlmutter said cannabis banking should be included.

"Cannabis banking could be a key component of that package, which might also include provisions related to marijuana research for military veterans, cannabis industry access to federal Small Business Administration (SBA) services, and incentivizing states to expunge prior marijuana records," Perlmutter said.

“In a perfect world, that will move forward in the Senate. I’m pretty sure we have the votes here in the House to pass something like that—where it’s not as broad as some of the things that the majority leader has talked about, but is substantial,” he added. “I hope that that’s the approach that we take, otherwise we have to pursue through the NDAA, where there is a germane component.”

It is clear that the SAFE Banking Act has bipartisan support considering the six times it has passed the House in some form and that it has co-sponsors for the companion bill in the Senate.
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