“The Epicenter of Risk:” Weed’s Endless Banking Problem

In the pot fields of California's Emerald Triangle, the notion of a business checking account is still somewhat foreign. 

Many of the farmers there have been working the land for decades. Prior to legalization, they refused to take anything other than cash for their product. And that was just fine, because their buyers all paid in cash anyway. 

When pot became legal after California voters passed Proposition 64 in November 2016, some farmers continued taking only cash. Some were more comfortable with it. Others couldn't get a bank to accept their deposits.