skip to Main Content
Alaska credit union to end marijuana business pilot program

An Alaska credit union plans to discontinue a pilot program to provide checking and savings accounts to marijuana-related businesses, an official said.

Credit Union 1 will end the program Aug. 30 because critical insurance coverage will no longer be available, The Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday.

Credit Union 1 announced the program’s launch in November to establish financial services for the primarily cash-operated industry.

Marijuana-related businesses cannot continue the program beyond a pilot phase without the liability coverage, said Credit Union 1 CEO James Wileman.

Alaska voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2014. The state generated more than $10 million in marijuana tax revenue from July 2017 to June 2018, according to the state Department of Revenue.

Cannabis businesses often operate in cash because banks and credit unions are wary of taking on clients whose product is still federally illegal, the newspaper reported.

Credit Union 1 was told by its insurance broker that the necessary coverage would not be renewed because of the credit union’s cannabis banking program, Wileman said. [Read more at The Morning Call]

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Stories

High & Dry: Banking crisis to further choke funding for cannabis sector

March 24 (Reuters) – The global banking turmoil threatens to squeeze U.S. cannabis companies already struggling with meager funding sources by drying up support from regional lenders and tightening fundraising…

Beshear signs bill raising legal age to buy marijuana alternative in Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill into law Thursday to make it illegal for people under age 21 to buy products containing delta-8 THC, a marijuana alternative. The bill,…

Minnesota Supreme Court Reverses Vape Liquid Conviction

By Jesse Mondry, Attorney at Harris Bricken As Minnesota approaches the legalization of marijuana, the Minnesota Supreme Court has just ruled on a case we covered in September 2021.  The case involves the difference…

Mold in marijuana? Connecticut’s rules are less strict than other states

Connecticut is joined by only Florida and Maryland in setting the mold limit as high as 100,000 CFU/g. But safety standards vary widely across the nation. Branford resident Alex London…

More Categories

Back To Top
×Close search
Search