The Hill is reporting that Representative Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) has introduced the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act. He has 17 bipartisan co-sponsors of the bill that would allow for a "safe harbor" provisions for banks choosing to do business with companies or individuals who are engaged in the sale of marijuana.
http://thehill.com/...
Currently, banks who accept deposits from firms who manufacture or sell cannabis are subject to prosecution by the Obama administration. As a result, dispensaries and growers are forced into a cash-only trade, making them targets for violence and theft.
This bill will eliminate the possibility of federal prosecution - and make dispensaries a much safer place. It would also allow dispensaries and growers to make and take electronic payments, reducing fraud and increasing the sales tax base.