TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Marijuana has gone from illegal and underground to a mainstream big business but it’s officially still illegal in the eyes of the Feds. Now there’s a chance that could change, and help legal marijuana sellers tap into the services most businesses can rely on.
Cannabis is big business. In Arizona any adult can walk up to a dispensary window buy it with no problem. But the Federal government lumps it in with drugs like Heroin and that creates a lot of trouble for the industry.
In downtown Tucson, D2 Dispensary sells a product legal for adults in 24 states, three US territories and Washington DC. But in DC, the Federal government still classifies Marijuana as an illegal, dangerous, addictive drug with no medical use.
The Drug Enforcement Administration calls it Schedule One in the same category as Heroin and Ecstasy.
Schedule Two includes drugs that may be prescribed like morphine, cocaine or fentanyl.
Now the Trump Administration is considering moving Cannabis, perhaps to DEA Schedule Three. It includes drugs like Ketamine and low dose codeine compounds.
At D2 Moe Asnani says cannabis is a mainstream business now but banks are afraid to touch a business Federal law enforcement sees as selling an illegal product.
“We're not able to take credit cards. We're not able to have the kind of banking access most people have. Small business loans are never an option when it comes to being able to have certain tax deductions that other businesses have. We can't use those.”
Thieves know dispensaries are one of the last cash only businesses so they become targets for crime.
Some Cannabis buyers do find medical value for problems like pain, or anxiety, others just buy it as a legal product they enjoy.
Christian Atkins says, “The right way is like, if you have an ID, come in here, you purchase it the right way. You know, not on the streets, not doing all this, all this nonsense, you know, do it the proper way. You know, you have an ID
