Anthony DeMaio
Subscribe to Anthony DeMaio's PostsAnthony DeMaio* focuses his practice on government relations and communication strategies. Read Anthony DeMaio's full bio.
*Non-lawyer professional
House Judiciary Committee to Consider De-Scheduling Bill
By Anthony DeMaio on Nov 19, 2019
Posted In Cannabis, Legislation
This Wednesday, November 20, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a markup of H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act). The bill’s sponsors and advocates for cannabis normalization say the legislation is the most comprehensive ever considered by Congress. In fact, due to the bill’s sprawling reforms, it was referred to...
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Safe Banking Act Passes House, Extends Cannabis Safe Harbor Protections
By Anthony DeMaio and Robert J. Cordy on Sep 27, 2019
Posted In Cannabis, Legislation
First introduced in 2013, the SAFE Banking Act just passed the House 321-103. This bill, an exciting and promising development for cannabis advocates, provides safe harbor to banks and financial institutions doing business with state-legal cannabis businesses, and allows cannabis businesses to move away from conducting business exclusively in cash. Access the full article for...
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Congress Can Open Financial Institutions to Legal Cannabis Industry with SAFE Banking Act
By Anthony DeMaio and Robert M. Kline on Apr 26, 2019
Posted In Cannabis
Federal statutes create risk for banks that want to operate in the cannabis space. Banks face the threat of civil actions, asset forfeiture, reputational risk, and even criminal penalties if they do business with customers in the cannabis industry. Further, because most banks will not touch cannabis money, the growers, processors, and retailers in the...
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House Financial Services Committee to Consider Cannabis Banking Issues
By Anthony DeMaio on Feb 7, 2019
Posted In Cannabis, Legislation
116th Congress’ first cannabis-related hearing Next week, Congress will hold a long-awaited hearing on the future of banking in the cannabis industry. On Wednesday the 13th, the House Financial Services Committee Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions Subcommittee will convene a hearing entitled, “Challenges and Solutions: Access to Banking Services for Cannabis-Related Businesses.” Among the discussion...
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Congressional Cannabis Caucus – 116th Congress
By Anthony DeMaio on Jan 14, 2019
Posted In Cannabis, Legislation
On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) announced the leadership team of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus for the 116th Congress. In addition to Mr. Blumenauer, the Caucus will be co-chaired by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK). Mr. Blumenauer helped found the Caucus in 2017 with...
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