While Congress continues to drag its feet on marijuana legalization, there is another bill in the works that could dramatically alter the legal cannabis market, particularly where delivery is concerned. Known as the America COMPETES bill, the legislation focuses mainly on manufacturing. But language added during House and Senate negotiations could end up making cannabis home delivery mainstream.
Any improvement to the current delivery environment would be the result of the implementation of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act. That legislation has already been passed by the Senate. But now, conference representatives in both houses are working to get the bill attached to America COMPETES for an act.
A Common Tactic
Riding the coattails of one bill to get another bill passed is a common tactic in Washington. Lawmakers do it all the time. In a perfect world scenario, both the SAFE act and the manufacturing bill would pass on their own merits. But that rarely happens. Quite often, the House passes one version of a bill while the Senate passes another. The bill that finally makes it to the president’s desk is the result of a compromise conference among both houses.
Compromise bills tend to differ quite a bit from the originals. That is the whole point of the conference committee doing its work. Their job is to negotiate a final bill that makes both chambers happy. Give and take is part of the game. And in that give and take is an opportunity to attach other bills.
Attaching the SAFE act to the manufacturing bill eliminates the need to bring yet another bill to the floor for debate. Lawmakers can speed up the process by attaching one bill to the other. Whether that is right or wrong is irrelevant in terms of the practicality of the matter.
Its Impact on Cannabis Delivery
So, what impact would the modified manufacturing bill have on cannabis delivery? It should give the industry the shot in the arm it needs to make home delivery the norm. Right now, delivery is being held back by limited banking options. Language in the SAFE act frees up banks to work with cannabis operators to provide standard banking services. This would solve one of home delivery’s fundamental challenges.
Beehive Pharmacy is a medical cannabis pharmacy with locations in Park City and Salt Lake City, UT. Ownership says that state lawmakers gave the green light to home delivery quite some time ago. Although some delivery is now taking place, it is still not the norm. Lack of banking services is a big reason why.
Because pharmacies and processors have trouble accessing basic banking services, they operate mainly on a cash basis. For delivery purposes, this means that customers must pay for their orders in cash upon arrival. Even if they order online, they cannot pay with plastic. This creates a dangerous situation for delivery drivers who must carry around substantial amounts of cash and marijuana in the same vehicle.
As Common as Food Delivery
Eliminating banking restrictions could make cannabis home delivery as common as food delivery. It is conceivable that companies devoted exclusively to cannabis delivery will pop up all over the country. Could existing services already delivering food get involved? Anything is possible.
All eyes are now on Congress to see what they do with the manufacturing bill. If news reports are accurate, there is a very good chance that the SAFE Act will be attached to it at the conference. All it would take then is the president’s signature to straighten out the banking problem. That could ultimately be a boost for cannabis home delivery.
