Two armed males, together with their getaway driver, have been arrested this week for robbing a courier who was transporting over $436,000 from a number of hashish dispensaries in Massachusetts.
The perpetrators intercepted the courier, sprayed him within the eyes with pepper spray after which made off with the money, reported Boston25 Information.
Nice Work Lads However Right here’s An Concept: Hashish Banking Reform
Whereas the case underscores the collaborative efforts of legislation enforcement companies — federal and native brokers have been concerned — to fight organized crime, it additionally sheds mild on the dangers inherent within the banking restrictions dealing with the hashish business.
That’s to say… there isn’t a correct banking entry for any and all money gathered at or by a marijuana firm that’s concerned in touching the precise hashish plant.
As a consequence of this cash-only state of affairs at retail weed retailers, employees are sitting geese for robberies, theft or worse. Assaults have elevated throughout the nation lately.
Burglaries at retailers in Washington state have now change into commonplace, particularly ones the place a stolen car is used to ram a constructing to get inside. Based on KIRO7 native information, 12 violent break-ins resulted in property injury and theft to this point in 2024.
In 2020 and 2021 there have been greater than 80 reported armed robberies in Washington, with some ending in loss of life, in response to the Washington CannaBusiness Affiliation.
What’s To Be Carried out?
The Safe and Truthful Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act would give hashish firms normalized entry to banking and monetary companies and permit dispensaries to simply accept bank cards somewhat than money solely. The SAFER Banking Act has handed within the U.S. Home seven instances. The Senate accredited it in September 2023 although it has but to be taken up on the complete Senate ground nor has it made it to the higher chamber of the Home.
As of this previous April, Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sought to incorporate SAFER in must-pass laws linked to the FAA reauthorization. That did not occur.
Win-Win: Banks Need In On The Marijuana Billions And Folks Don’t Need To Get Robbed
It’s not that the banks don’t wish to accommodate the billions of {dollars} weed generates yearly or that they don’t just like the almost a half-million folks the business employs.
As long as the federal authorities considers marijuana to be a Schedule I drug, entry to banking stays out of attain. Therefore the DEA’s acknowledged intention to reschedule hashish can’t come a second too quickly.
Picture courtesy of US Lawyer Basic’s workplace
