A steadily growing number of banks are willing to open accounts for marijuana businesses, according to new federal data.
Even as a string of conflicting signals from the Trump administration surrounds the debate about legalization with uncertainty, the number of depository institutions that are actively banking the cannabis industry has increased roughly 18% since the beginning of 2017.
Last January, 340 financial services providers were banking marijuana businesses. That number rose to 400 by the end of September, according to a report released late last month by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The rise comes despite continued confusion about the federal government's approach to marijuana as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions--a longtime legalization opponent--has made clear he is considering potential changes to the former administration's mostly hands-off cannabis enforcement policies.
Top image: © Karen Roach | Adobe Stock
