The majority of Americans support cannabis companies that engage in traditional banking

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

According to a survey released Tuesday by the American Bankers Association (ABA), 65% of respondents said they prefer cannabis businesses to have access to traditional banking services, like a checking account or business loan, in states where cannabis is now legal. Only 15% of respondents opposed the policy, Marijuana Moment reported.

Additionally, the poll, conducted by Morning Consult, asked whether Congress should pass legislation that would implement this reform.

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68 percent of respondents agreed that new legislation should be passed to allow cannabis companies access to traditional banking.

“Consumers clearly agree that now is the time to resolve the ongoing conflict between state and federal law so that banks can serve legal cannabis and cannabis-related businesses,” said Rob Nichols, CEO of ABA, in a press release. “This will help banks meet the needs of their communities while improving public safety, increasing tax collection efficiency and improving the financial transparency of the cannabis industry.”

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The survey included interviews with 2,210 adults on February 18-19 with an error rate of +/- 2 percent. “The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximately represent a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, education level and region,” ABA reported.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.