Uruguay setting up dedicated cannabis dispensaries after banks scare off pharmacies

Banks had refused to deal with companies linked to cannabis in order to follow international financial laws
The Associated Press (US)
Thursday, September 14, 2017

Uruguay’s government announced that it is changing its retail system for legalized marijuana because banks are making it difficult for pharmacies to sell cannabis as planned. Banks are refusing to deal with companies linked to cannabis in order to follow international financial laws that ban receiving money tied to the drug, pharmacists and officials said. To avoid the problems faced by pharmacies, Uruguay will set up shops to sell marijuana for cash, said government official Juan Andres Roballo. Some U.S. marijuana retailers in states that have legalized sales have encountered similar banking difficulties as the drug remains illegal on a federal level.