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Finding a Bank to Support A Marijuana Store (medicinal or not) is Difficult, as it is Considered "Money Laundering"

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Finding a Bank to Support A Marijuana Store (medicinal or not) is Difficult, as it is Considered "Money Laundering"

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Despite their attempts to 'change the stigma,' and allow their business to appear as a 'health and wellness company', it has been difficult for one particular company in Florida to grow and sell medical marijuana. It is not easy to find a bank that will financially support the business. This stigma has resulted in very few successes so far, as there are only seven total businesses in the state that can grow and sell.. The vice president and associate chief counsel of The American Bankers Association has stated, "Banks have generally been steering clear of these companies even if it's legal in their state. It will take an act of Congress at the federal level to change that."

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TAMPA - The Surterra Therapeutics storefront on Fowler Avenue doesn't look like the kind of place where people can buy pot.

There's no green marijuana leaves lit in neon lights or blacked-out windows. No security guard is checking IDs at the front door. Visitors don't have to be escorted into another room to see the product.

And that's on purpose.

As one of seven select companies licensed to grow, manufacture, distribute and sell marijuana in Florida, Surterra Holdings Inc. executives are used to explaining that they're not in business to be another smoke shop. But that's tough to do when even the bank lenders, real estate brokers, landlords and insurance agents are wary of doing business with them.

"We're trying to change the stigma," said Monica Russell, a spokeswoman for Surterra, who noted even securing insurance for the company's fleet of delivery trucks has been a challenge. "We want people to come here so they can have a conversation and see we're actually a health and wellness company."

Marijuana is still considered an illegal substance at the federal level, despite the 28 states that have legalized it for recreational or medicinal use in recent years. That makes it nearly impossible for banks to fund marijuana distributing companies, which in turn makes it hard to sign a lease for a commercial store or warehouse.

"The short answer is, because federal law makes it illegal to possess or distribute marijuana, this is considered money laundering," said Robert Rowe, vice president and associate chief counsel of the American Bankers Association. "Banks have generally been steering clear of these companies even if it's legal in their state. It will take an act of Congress at the federal level to change that."

Surterra, an Atlanta-based medical marijuana company that operates only in Florida, opened its first retail store in Tampa in October. Securing the real estate for that store, which is in a busy shopping plaza near the University of South Florida at 2558 E Fowler Ave., was no easy feat.

"It's a very slow process to find the right space," unlike for more traditional retail companies, said Brian Bern, senior director of real estate services with Franklin Street in Tampa, which represents Surterra in its real estate ventures. "Half of the time we get shut down immediately when we inquire about a lease and the other half, people are curious because they just don't know much about it."

Some grocery store chains and other major anchoring retailers have clauses in their leases that prohibit the kind of tenants landlords can co-lease to in a specific plaza. It's easy to interpret a medical marijuana store as one of those types of tenants that a Publix or a Target wouldn't want to be next to. That attitude may be in part a rollover from what Florida city officials and landlords saw during the height of the "pill mill" crisis, real estate brokers say.

"We are up-front and honest about the business right off the bat," Bern said. "We're starting to see some slow change in these dated lease agreements, but it's going to take time."

While several local governments in Florida counties are waiting to see what laws state legislators will come up with regarding marijuana regulation in Tallahassee this year, more than 30 counties and cities in Florida have approved or are considering moratoriums to regulate how many and where marijuana dispensaries can go. Pasco County limited the number of dispensaries allowed within the county limits to two. Hillsborough County is considering a 30-day window for marijuana companies to apply for a limited number of licenses.

"Because of the local ordinances and existing restrictions in leases for certain strip centers, there are only a handful of very specific places where we could possibly open more stores," Bern said.

The goal is to open more stores across the state by inviting local government officials, landlords and brokers to come see the business for themselves in Tampa first.

"Usually once they see it, their mind-sets change. It's just getting them to come here instead of dismissing it as something else," Bern said.

Surterra's store is bright and open with floor-to-ceiling glass window panes. It has a large dining room-like table in the front near a row of cabinets that looks like a kitchen in someone's home. That's intentional, employees say.

"We designed this store geared toward women and their families," said Stephanie Maruca, an assistant manager at the Surterra store and also a registered nurse. "They're the ones who care for their families, and we want this to be a comfortable and familiar space."

An area of the store that Maruca called "the garden" is where Surterra's products are on display, tucked between succulent plants and fragrance-spewing aroma diffusers.

Unlike dispensaries in states like California and Colorado, anyone can come into the store and ask questions. Maruca says they regularly have patients who stop in with their toddlers or entire families to place an order.

Surterra operates two distribution and grow facilities in the state, one in Tampa Bay and another near Tallahassee. The company's second retail store is slated to open later this year in Tallahassee.

There are several private offices where staffers can talk to patients about doctors' recommendations privately or help them apply for the Florida Department of Health state ID card required of patients who use marijuana products.

"A lot of what we do now is education," Russell said. "We're educating patients or potential patients and city employees who work in planning departments about what we do."

That's about all they can do, she said, until legislators decide how to regulate the industry as it continues to grow in Florida.

-Contact Justine Griffin at jgriffintampabay.com or 727-893-8467.

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Opening a medical marijuana store isn't easy

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TAMPA - The Surterra Therapeutics storefront on Fowler Avenue doesn't look like the kind of place where people can buy pot.There's no green marijuana leaves lit in neon lights or blacked-out windows. No security guard is checking IDs at the front door.

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Many Are Confused and Concerned, Responding to Trump's Crackdown on States With Legal Recreation Marijuana Use, Asking For More Answers

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Many Are Confused and Concerned, Responding to Trump's Crackdown on States With Legal Recreation Marijuana Use, Asking For More Answers

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Since Trump has said that their administration would be breaking down on states with legal recreational marijuana- but only vaguely said that he still supported medicinal marijuana- many people are asking Trump to clarify his position, as this "new stance" will have many implications following the stigma of the use of marijuana in any setting. “If the Trump administration seeks greater enforcement, then it should clearly define what this means so hard-working people.. can make informed decisions... Vague statements undermining medical marijuana violate common sense and only serve to hurt the people who have pursed this treatment as a last resort.”

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Wisconsin Passes a Bill to Legally Possess CBD on March 7, 2017

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Wisconsin Passes a Bill to Legally Possess CBD on March 7, 2017

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Previously illegal, the state of Wisconsin has passed a bill that is headed to the governor (expected to go "smoothly"), to allow for the legal possession of an extract of marijuana, hoping to help young patients in particular, with very severe seizures, or others with terminal illness.
Several other states also passed new bills regarding medical marijuana (including Utah and the legality of research) on this day. A long time coming for any and all states, this goes to show how current such rulings are, that they are constantly evolving, along with knowledge and awareness.

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MADISON, WI (WSAU) -- In what could be considered a victory for people who suffer from seizures, the Wisconsin Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday to legalize possession of CBD oil, a marijuana extract. The oil doesn't produce a high, and is still illegal to manufacture and sell in Wisconsin.

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"Three-Year Old Patient Wants to Educate President Trump About Medical Marijuana"

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"Three-Year Old Patient Wants to Educate President Trump About Medical Marijuana"

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A young girl, Sadie has finally found relief from her seizures and tumors resulting from a rare condition, Schinzel-Giedion syndrome. After just one dose, Sadie's eyes stopped twitching, after another, her whole body! Months later, her tumors had regressed.
However, Sadie's family was informed that the schedule of marijuana- despite its benefits- made it illegal. As the article states, "Removing cannabis and cannabinoid oils from Schedule 1 status will encourage and allow further research into its medical potential and increase nationwide access to medical marijuana." Sadie's family hopes to "call upon" the Make-A-Wish Foundation for consideration of rescheduling. There is also a hashtag #SadieMeetsTrump, in hopes of furthering the discussion. Sadie's story is testimonial that medicinal marijuana is legitimate and safe-- even for a small child! March 6, 2017

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3-year-old Patient Wants to Educate President Trump about Medical Marijuana

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A 3 year old suffering from a rare pediatric epilepsy disease wants to meet President Trump to help get cannabinoid treatments approved.

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"The Federal Government has Yet to Catch up to Modern Science"

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"The Federal Government has Yet to Catch up to Modern Science"

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In an article and video clip by Rolling Stone, they point out the contradiction in the federal law still considering marijuana to be illegal, whereas certain states recognize it for having medical value- as well as a lack of negative side effects, versus other medications.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration clarified that marijuana extracts - including cannabidiol (CBD) - fall under Schedule I drug classification, making all forms of the plant illegal under federal law, according to a notice released today.

In the announcement, "Establishment of a New Drug Code for Marihuana Extract," the DEA revealed a new identification number for marijuana extract, which is defined as: "an extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis, other than the separated resin (whether crude or purified) obtained from the plant."

The new distinction will help the Administration better track scientific studies on marijuana separately from CBD and other extracts. By making this distinction, they also hope to comply with international drug control treaties.

"Once again, the federal government has shown that it has not caught up with modern science," Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, told. "It's common knowledge that CBD has numerous medical uses, including curbing the effects of epilepsy and reducing muscle inflammation from injuries. To deny that shows a complete disregard for the facts."

CBD, which occurs naturally in marijuana, has also been cited as a promising treatment for patients with chronic pain and cancer, among other ailments. Unlike THC, CBD is not responsible for getting users high. However, CBD is now considered a Schedule I controlled substance, alongside heroin and LSD, because there is no proven medical use for CBD and it has a high potential for abuse, according to the DEA.

"It's an internal accounting mechanism for us," DEA spokesman Russell Baer told VICE News. "The purpose is to drill down and get more accurate information about research that's being conducted with CBD in particular."

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DEA: Marijuana Extracts Including CBD Are Schedule I Drugs

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The Drug Enforcement Administration clarified that marijuana extracts - including cannabidiol (CBD) - fall under Schedule I drug classification, making all forms of the plant illegal under federal law, according to a notice released today.