{"id":68676,"date":"2023-09-20T08:25:34","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T16:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/09\/20\/schumer-commits-to-bring-newly-revised-marijuana-banking-bill-to-the-floor-with-cannabis-expungements-and-gun-rights-amendments\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T19:46:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T03:46:14","slug":"schumer-commits-to-bring-newly-revised-marijuana-banking-bill-to-the-floor-with-cannabis-expungements-and-gun-rights-amendments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/09\/20\/schumer-commits-to-bring-newly-revised-marijuana-banking-bill-to-the-floor-with-cannabis-expungements-and-gun-rights-amendments\/","title":{"rendered":"Schumer Commits To Bring Newly Revised Marijuana Banking Bill To The Floor With Cannabis Expungements And Gun Rights Amendments"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reaffirmed his commitment to expeditiously advancing a revised marijuana banking bill\u2014and he says he will also push to attach legislation on cannabis expungements and gun rights for medical marijuana patients.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee says that he\u2019s expecting a \u201cstrong majority\u201d of his panel to vote in favor of the amended Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act at a markup scheduled for next week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the SAFER Banking Act was formally filed on Wednesday<\/a>, Schumer released a statement shared exclusively in advance with Marijuana Moment that touted the bipartisan agreement and previewed plans to further expand the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, the federal government has continued to punish marijuana users and business owners\u2014even when doing so is actively harmful to our country,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cThis \u2018war on drugs\u2019 has turned into a war on people and communities\u2014specifically people and communities of color\u2014and a war on business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

For too long, the federal government has continued to punish marijuana users and business owners.<\/p>\n

Here’s how I’m taking action with SAFER Banking, the HOPE Act, and the GRAM Act:https:\/\/t.co\/SrLq0wNk8b<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 20, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cThis agreement allows cannabis businesses that have traditionally operated in cash to finally have the opportunity to accept credit and debit cards, allowing them to grow their businesses, pay their employees, protect their customers and ensure public safety,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The majority leader added that he intends to bring the SAFER Banking Act to the floor \u201cwith all due speed,\u201d<\/a> and he said he\u2019s \u201ccommitted to including\u201d the Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act and Gun Rights and Marijuana (GRAM) Act in the final legislation.<\/p>\n

The HOPE Act is designed to incentivize states and local governments to expunge cannabis records in their jurisdictions. Schumer has previously pledged to amend the banking bill with the criminal justice reform, calling it a \u201ccritical\u201d addition. The GOP sponsor of the SAFER Banking Act, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), said he\u2019s amenable to the addition, even as he\u2019s cautioned against significantly expanded the underlying bill.<\/p>\n

The GRAM Act, meanwhile, would allow medical cannabis patients to purchase and possess firearms that they\u2019re currently prohibited from under a statute that\u2019s been challenged in a number of federal courts over the past year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve long advocated for expungement of records for cannabis offenses, and with SAFER Banking moving through the committee in such a strong, bipartisan way, I believe now is the time to get it done,\u201d Schumer said. \u201cI look forward to seeing the bill pass out of committee, so we can vote on it on the Senate floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), meanwhile, also released a statement on Wednesday about the SAFER Banking Act and his interest in attaching the bipartisan expungements legislation. He\u2019s listed as a cosponsor of the revised banking bill\u2014which is notable given that he previously vowed to \u201clay myself down\u201d to block the incremental reform<\/a> in 2021 unless Congress first moved to comprehensively legalize marijuana and address the harms of cannabis criminalization.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the assurance of Majority Leader Schumer that the HOPE Act, which will support states with grants so they can seek to expunge cannabis records, will be incorporated into this legislation on the Senate floor, I\u2019m cosponsoring the SAFER Banking Act to begin the process of reforming our broken federal cannabis laws,\u201d Booker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill will take cannabis banking out of the shadows and give access to the banking system to thousands of small businesses. With the addition of HOPE, it will take a needed step toward restorative justice,\u201d the senator added.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, our laws involving marijuana have undermined the ability for small businesses and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to succeed on a more level playing field with the wealthy and highly capitalized corporations. And for too long, the prohibition on marijuana has disproportionately targeted low-income, minority, and disadvantaged communities. Finally, we have a bill that is moving us in the right direction and making meaningful strides toward justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the lead Democratic sponsor of the bill, released his own statement on Wednesday touting \u201cmomentum on our side to finally get a bill signed into law that ends the cannabis cash economy and ensures all legal cannabis businesses have access to the financial services they need to operate with certainty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am grateful to Majority Leader Schumer for reiterating his personal commitment to ensuring that these two provisions are added on the floor,\u201d the senator said. \u201cAs we adjust cannabis policy to reflect the reality that the majority of the country lives in, it is imperative that we also undo the harms perpetuated by the War of Drugs and criminalization of cannabis on communities of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t move quickly enough to get the bipartisan SAFER Banking Act signed into law, with these important provisions,\u201d Merkley said.<\/p>\n

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told<\/a> Politico on Wednesday that he anticipates \u201cmost members\u201d of his panel will vote to advance the cannabis banking bill next week now that it\u2019s been revised following a \u201clong, arduous process\u201d of bipartisan negotiations.<\/p>\n

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), a Banking Committee member who is cosponsoring the SAFER Banking Act, said in a statement on Wednesday that he\u2019s \u201cglad we finally reached a compromise to solve the public safety threat faced by cannabis businesses operating exclusively in cash and the communities in which they operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor far too long, the status quo has made these businesses easy targets for criminals\u2014threatening public safety and making it harder for states to regulate,\u201d he said. \u201cThis deal will empower small business owners by granting them the ability to access the banking system, and will strengthen communities in New Jersey and across the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not everyone is on board, though. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the committee, told<\/a> Politico the revisions made to the bill \u201cfailed to address my concerns,\u201d so he will be proactively \u201copposing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newly released\u00a0bill<\/a>\u00a0reveals<\/a>\u00a0the types of compromises senators made over recent weeks. Most of the new provisions are described under Section 10\u2014a component of the reform that Republicans have strongly favored and certain Democrats opposed over concerns it could undermine broader banking regulations.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the key changes from the previous Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n