Last Wednesday U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag from Northern California announced her departure, effective September 1. Since 2011 Haag shutdown more than 600 state-compliant medical cannabis dispensaries by threatening to seize their leased properties from landlords. Haag claimed she launched her actions because the properties were less than 1000 feet from a school, park or playground.

Haag’s crusade largely ended in July of 2012 after she targeted Harborside Health Center, which she admitted was not close to a sensitive site. Harborside fought back in state and local court, and won multiple decisions that have allowed it and other state-compliant dispensaries to remain open ever since.

Here’s a rundown on other stories related to marijuana that made news this week.

New York State Awards 5 Medical Marijuana Licenses
Mirroring a national trend toward an acceptance of marijuana, the New York State Health Department on Friday named the five organizations that will be allowed to grow and sell the drug for medical use in the state, including in New York City.

The organizations will be registered with the state, and each plans to open four dispensaries statewide. They are required to be doing business within six months, meaning medical marijuana could be on sale in New York by the end of the year.

Read more in The New York Times.

2016: The Marijuana Election
In the past few years, the U.S. has been steadily growing support for marijuana reform. From the presidential candidates to the general public, this progressive attitude has become a hot topic for debate, and as an election year approaches, everyone—from governors to legislators to those who would be president—seems to have an opinion on the issue.

Though public opinion is shifting toward embracing cannabis reform, presidential candidates are a little more hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. Of the candidates who have expressed interest in running for the 2016 presidential nomination, only three support radical federal reform as of press time. One candidate is Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is in favor of decriminalization and medical marijuana use and open to federal legalization. Alongside him is Democratic candidate Lincoln Chafee. Having already signed marijuana decriminalization laws on a state level, the former Rhode Island governor admits recreational use could be good for tax revenues. Still, both Chafee and Sanders have made it clear they will continue to monitor Colorado before making any major decisions. Finally, Donald Trump expressed interest in legalizing drugs back in 2011 but as of press time has not released further statements on the matter.

Read more at Newsweek.

Marijuana Dispensaries Need Banking Access, California Officials Say

Citing the public safety risks of a cash-only industry, state officials argued Friday that medical marijuana dispensaries should have better access to banking.

A member of the state’s tax board convened a meeting to discuss the banking challenges currently facing the cannabis industry. Most financial institutions refuse to serve marijuana businesses, pointing to federal law that classifies pot as an illegal substance.

State lawmakers are considering a resolution that would urge the president and Congress to support legislation allowing banks and credit unions to serve state-legalized marijuana businesses.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.

Banking for Pot Industry Hits a Roadblock
Banking regulators just said no to a financial institution that aims to be the first to serve the expanding marijuana industry in Colorado.

The Fourth Corner Credit Union in Denver applied in November to the Federal Reserve for a “master account,” which would allow it to interact with other financial institutions and open its doors to some of the hundreds of state-licensed marijuana businesses in Colorado.

Although recreational marijuana has been legalized in Colorado, it is still illegal on the federal level, discouraging most traditional banks from working with pot businesses.

The Fed’s branch in Kansas City, which has been reviewing the application, privately informed the Fourth Corner Credit Union earlier in July that it had not been approved for a master account, the credit union said on Thursday.

Read more in The New York Times.

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