Today, SAM staff faced down the lions during a U.S. Senate hearing on marijuana banking.
And we made them tremble.
Our VP of Government Affairs Garth Van Meter perfectly laid out all the reasons why giving Big Pot banking access would be a terrible idea.
Namely, promoting and normalizing addictive drug use during the height of an addiction crisis would be disastrous for health and safety. The Un-SAFE Act would drastically expand institutional investment from Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma. According to former House Speaker and current Big Marijuana lobbyist John Boehner, there are “hundreds of billions of dollars sitting on the sidelines” from these groups.
The best-case scenario with the industry getting banking access: vast investment floods the industry allowing more production of stronger, kid-friendly products.
The worst-case scenario: international drug cartels use the industry’s access to the financial system as a money laundering tool.
Not only did we make the industry tremble, we also caught them in a very big lie:
The CEO of LivWell, a Colorado-based pot shop chain testified that his company is a “cash-only” operation due to the lack of banking access. This is a claim made non-stop by Big Marijuana’s team of lobbyists.
SAM went undercover in Denver to prove that marijuana businesses (including LivWell) are actively taking card payments, and the industry lobbyists are willing to lie to Congress in an attempt to grant Big Marijuana more legitimacy and open up the floodgates on Wall Street cash.
Check out the video of Denver pot shops gladly admitting they accept cards here: www.bigpotexposed.com
Some praise for SAM’s testimony from senators:
Senator Mike Crapo: “Mr. Van Meter has raised some significant questions…”
Senator Sherrod Brown: SAM’s arguments are “very persuasive…”
Senator Jon Tester: SAM’s argument to have the debate over merits of legalization prior to banking access is “spot on…”
All of our work is crucial in keeping Big Marijuana in check and preventing its growth. Our inclusion in today’s hearing is because of our tireless efforts and because of the support of individuals like you.
Thanks for all you do,
Dr. Kevin Sabet, Founder and President – Smart Approaches to Marijuana
About SAM:Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit alliance of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and other concerned citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies. SAM has affiliates in more than 30 states