Recreational marijuana is legal in almost a dozen states, and medical marijuana in a majority…but cannabis is still illegal federally, and so cannabis businesses are not eligible for federal aid approved in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although many states consider marijuana “essential,” the industry is still incurring costs in dealing with COVID-19. And so many lawmakers, who’ve already been concerned about the industry’s lack of access to banking services, are trying to help them get access to aid, with Colorado Representative Ed Perlmutter leading the way. Last week, he and other industry stakeholders asked that language from the SAFE Banking Act be included in COVID-19 relief bills.

– Read the entire article at Westword.