WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) issued the following statement criticizing the exclusion of the SAFE Banking Act in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act:

“The exclusion of the SAFE Banking Act from the FY22 NDAA is incredibly disappointing. SAFE Banking is a commonsense component of the long-overdue effort to reform the federal government’s outdated cannabis policy, one that has strong bipartisan support. Yet each time the House passes this important bill the Senate kills its chances of becoming law, refusing to take constructive steps toward ending the federal prohibition of cannabis.

“Like many Americans, I cannot understand why the Senate continues to hold up help for struggling small businesses, many of which are minority-owned, to leverage legislation that has yet to be introduced.

“This all-or-nothing approach has created yet another missed opportunity to pass progress and take a concrete step towards cannabis reform that will impact the lives of millions of Americans. The longer the Senate delays providing state-legal cannabis businesses with access to basic banking services – access that every other legal business in our country has – the more it endangers public safety, stifles economic equity, and further exacerbates the unsustainable patchwork of federal and state cannabis laws.

“For those who are disappointed in the Senate’s inaction, rest assured there are several lawmakers who continue to work across party lines to enact achievable and meaningful cannabis reform that will build a bipartisan consensus on this issue and directly improve lives and livelihoods across the country.”