ASA in the News

State lawmakers are poised to make significant changes to the state’s medical-marijuana system. Advocates and patients have concerns.

Paul Marini | March 01, 2014

Bob Young, Seattle Times State lawmakers are poised to make significant changes to Washington’s medical-marijuana system. And the changes likely will come from two bills that have emerged as the vehicles for reconciling the largely unregulated medical system with the...

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Berkeley medical marijuana dispensary certified by nonprofit advocacy group

Paul Marini | February 23, 2014

Chris Tril, The Daily Californian Americans for Safe Access, a nonprofit cannabis-advocacy group, certified two Bay Area medical marijuana dispensaries Feb. 20 in an effort to encourage standardized cannabis quality.

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Just two months after announcing a program to verify the safety and quality of medical marijuana, Americans for Safe Access announced the first two dispensaries to pass the certification process

Paul Marini | February 22, 2014

Katie Rucke, MintPress News About two months after the medical marijuana patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access announced that it would launch a program to verify medical marijuana products sold at licensed businesses, the group announced the certification of...

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Obama Administration Announces Banking Guidelines for Marijuana Business

Paul Marini | February 22, 2014

Phillip Smith, San Diego Free Press The Obama administration Thursday afternoon announced new guidelines that will allow financial institutions to provide services to marijuana businesses in states where it is legal. The guidelines will apply to both medical marijuana and...

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Many institutions still leery

Paul Marini | February 16, 2014

Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times Banks can do business with marijuana sellers in states where use has been legalized either for recreational or medicinal purposes, under a new policy the Obama administration announced Friday.

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New Pot Banking Guidelines Moot in CA?

Paul Marini | February 16, 2014

Thadeus Greenson, North Coast Journal Thanks to some recent direction from the Obama administration, banks are now allowed to do business with folks who make their living in the legal marijuana trade. But, maybe not in California.

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18 in Congress Tell Obama to Give Pot a Chance

Paul Marini | February 14, 2014

Huffington Post Eighteen members of the United States Congress this week wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I outlaw to a lower level that would allow medical uses.

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Obama admin: Banks can do business with marijuana sellers

Paul Marini | February 14, 2014

Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times Banks can do business with marijuana sellers in states where use has been legalized either for recreational or medicinal purposes, under a new policy the Obama administration announced Friday.

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Feds unveil new guidelines for banks handling marijuana money

Paul Marini | February 14, 2014

Staff, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Marijuana is still prohibited under federal law, but that hasn’t stopped 20 states and the District of Columbia from legalizing certain marijuana-related activity. That divide has raised questions over whether businesses should feel safe storing their cash...

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18 in Congress urge Obama to ease limits on pot

Paul Marini | February 13, 2014

Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Eighteen members of Congress, including sixfrom Northern California, urged President Obama on Wednesday to remove marijuana from the government's list of the most dangerous drugs and allow doctors to prescribe it.

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