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Can Cannabis Help Cure Government and Bank Revenue Shortfalls?

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Can Cannabis Help Cure Government and Bank Revenue Shortfalls?

By Andy Montgomery | Published July 1st, 2020

As COVID-19 again rises its ugly head amidst an opening of economies around the United States, it is becoming increasingly clear that a snap back of the economy is a naïve notion at best.  Americans will be living with this unwanted new normal for some period of time to come.  The aftermath remains uncertain, but the present is already having significant effects on our economy and way of life.  Government stimulus, which comes at a long-term cost, has provided a boost of adrenaline, but will eventually wear off. We are in the midst of a financial recession and there are no clear precedents to draw on which provide a guide to its severity or longevity. This means that both governments and banks need to find alternative sources of revenue.

SAFETY DRAINS REVENUES

Different from “the Great Recession” which began in 2008, this economic crisis will be far more impactful to Main Street businesses and not contained to an asset bubble.  Consumers just simply stopped all at once from popping into local businesses and, even with moderate openings, many retailers and restaurants have no chance to recover to pre-COVID conditions.  Add to that, virtual learning behaviors that are quickly being integrated as preferences in our daily lives. This lack in demand will work its way through various other supply chains and continue to wreak havoc on our economy for some period of time.

The impact of decreased tax revenues from Main Street economies is already being felt in municipalities and states around the nation.  It comes at a time in which they are already tasked with providing for the safety of citizens through extraordinary and costly measures.  This is quickly depleting the reserves of governments; most of which have no good alternatives to raise revenue.

BANKS HAVE AND WILL BE IMPACTED

Similarly, banks have only begun to feel the full impact of the crisis.  In the first quarter of 2020, bank revenues were down a whopping 70%.  Banks will certainly see some revenue boost as a result of the massive PPP effort, but the stimulus will wear off for them also.  Almost every commercial business in the country has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and that will work its way into banks’ lending portfolios, earnings and liquidity.  The building momentum in the third and fourth quarters of credit contractions and bank layoffs could be as significant as 2008.

CANNABIS TAX REVENUES REQUIRE SAFE BANKING

One source of revenue that is yet to be adequately optimized in the 33 states that have approved some form of legalized cannabis is maximizing the tax revenue from this growing industry.  Most state and local governments are collecting a fraction of the tax revenue that they intended from cannabis.  That is mostly because the illegal trade of cannabis is in full supply and provides harsh competitive pricing pressure on businesses that want to comply with the laws and regulations.  Law enforcement will readily admit that they do not have the financial resources or public will to put a dent in the illegal trade.  This keeps legal cannabis from operating at their optimum potential and from paying the tax revenues that are increasingly needed by state and local governments.

During a press conference in April 2020 New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) stated that she wished the legalization of recreational marijuana would have passed earlier this year as it would have offered additional revenue for a state with limited resources and a large outbreak of COVID-19. “If there was ever a time for wishful thinking, I wish we had passed recreational cannabis because that would be $100 million.”

Also in April, the U.S. Virgin Island Governor Albert Bryan Jr (D) began the process of revisiting cannabis legalization stating, “We have taken the time to gather further public input as well as address the concerns of the individual legislators,”…“As the economic disaster, the last few weeks has created has affected the [Government Employees Retirement System] greatly it is our hope that we can have a greater sense of exigency in implementing all the things that can help us regain solvency.”… “Certainly, cutting the annuity of retirees by 30 percent cannot be the path,” he said.

IT IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUE

One way around relying on law enforcement to clean up the cannabis businesses is to have the banks do it.  That is why 34 Attorney Generals from states and territories across the country have signed a letter to Congress in support of the cannabis “Safe Banking Act.” But, as cannabis is still illegal federally, banks have no clear mandate or rules to follow from federal regulators to safely bank cannabis.  However, according to FinCEN data, approximately 525 banks and 185 credit unions knowingly banked cannabis clients in March 2020.  The Chairwoman of the FDIC, Jelena McWilliams, gave a clue as to how the federal regulator of banks would feel about their members banking cannabis as she has integrated the topic in all of her recent speeches and said that regulators would be okay with its members banking cannabis as long as they followed the FinCEN guidance and state regulations.

Denver, Colorado’s Audit Committee released a report stating, “The Treasury Division’s Audit Unit Is Not Effective or Efficient at Ensuring All Marijuana Taxes Are Reported and Paid.” The audit also lists specific findings and recommendations.

Recently, Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser tweeted, “Crimes at #cannabis businesses are often driven by the fact that so many of them are all cash businesses. That’s why we led a coalition of State AGs to support @RepPerlmutter’s work on the #SAFEBanking Act, allowing such companies access to safe banking.”

COULD THIS BE A WIN-WIN?

The bottom line is that if banks capitalized on the nascent and growing cannabis industry it could add liquidity and profit at a time when they need it the most.  To safely bank cannabis they would need to vet the businesses and ensure they are complying with all of the laws and regulations, But, by integrating more cannabis related businesses into the banking system and migrating them away from dealing in an all cash world, the money goes directly into the economy and adds very inexpensive deposits and a new source of fees for banks.  It also makes those cannabis related businesses that are not legal and compliant,recognizable outliers that are easier to spot for law enforcement as they will continue to be forced to trade and live using all cash. 

Andy Montgomery is a former bank CEO with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.  His experience includes founding community banks and working in executive positions for regional and money center banks.  He currently is the founder and CEO of HDCS, Inc., which provides consulting for financial institutions in engaging with higher-risk depositors.

Andy Montgomery is a contributing writer for Inland Empire Business Journal and former bank CEO with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Experienced Community Bank CEO and CEO and Founder of HDCS. Inc. and CBFS. HDCS (Higher-risk Deposit Compliance Solutions) provides comprehensive compliance solutions for financial institutions that engage with higher risk depositors including Cannabis Related Businesses and Cryptocurrency Businesses.

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Fire Helmet Manufacturer Helps Disabled Community find Employment

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Riverside’s Phenix Technology Leads with Inclusion, Empowering the Disabled Community Through Workforce Training and Employer Education

Written by Logan Rosselli, IEBJ Content Contributor

In the heart of Riverside, off of Chicago Avenue, a small, but mighty team has been quietly manufacturing life-saving equipment for firefighters across the world for over 50 years. Phenix Technology Inc. is an internationally recognized fire helmet manufacturer who builds their products from start to finish right here in the Inland Empire. For their great products, they’ve received numerous awards such as the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Innovator of the Year, a 2016 “E” for Exports award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, a finalist position in the “Coolest Thing Made in California” competition and more. However, their most recent accolade doesn’t involve their products at all.

In 2024, Phenix founded the ground breaking “Opportunity for All” program to provide disabled community members with the opportunity to access career education, hands-on experience and employment opportunities through an 11 week training cohort. In this program, neurodivergent individuals wanting to find stable employment learn about standard hiring practices, writing a resume, effective interviewing and professional attire while getting on-the-job training with a partnered employer in the community. It has helped dozens of disabled community members to find a new sense of independence and achieve their full potential while helping local employers find dependable employees who bring a unique perspective to the workplace.

It’s for this program that the National Association of Workforce Development Boards (NAWB), a representative of over 570 workforce development boards across the United States, honored Phenix with the prestigious W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award in late March.

“While we take tremendous pride in the products we make, we also believe we have a mission to create a better world through developing opportunities,” said Angel Sanchez, CEO of Phenix Technology in a statement released in early April. “Opportunity for All has helped prove that individuals who have historically been excluded from the workforce don’t just contribute — they elevate organizations. We are honored to receive this national award and grateful to the partners who have helped us make this vision a reality.”

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

Though “Opportunity for All” is certainly the cornerstone program for the company, Phenix’s leadership team was not satisfied to leave their mission there. Thus, in 2024, the company founded its nonprofit arm, Phenix Gateway to offer more programs and advocacy to the community. Through Phenix Gateway, the company offers workforce development workshops for individuals who don’t need the full scale of the “Opportunity for All” program, but want to improve a specific skill like resume writing or workplace social skills.

However, Phenix knows that preparing disabled people for the workforce is only one end of the equation; the workforce also has to be prepared to accept the unique skills, perspectives and challenges of the disabled community. For this reason, Phenix Gateway offers employer training workshops as well as educational materials available to businesses and the community. Training programs cover a lot of ground, ranging from assistance with optimizing interviews for people with neurodevelopmental disorders to creating sensory-friendly environments in the workplace.

In Riverside, these programs have had a huge impact on the local community. As of March 2025, Phenix’s Opportunity for All program has had over two dozen participants and 44% found stable employment through or after the program. Their one-off workforce development workshops have seen over 200 participants learn new skills and help them find employment and the nonprofit currently partners with close to 90 businesses to assist them in their endeavor to create a more inclusive workforce.

Phenix Gateway staff helps a program participant with his skills

For businesses or community members interested in learning how they can support or participate in these programs, Phenix encourages them to reach out by email to info@phenixgateway.org and to attend their First Annual Gala: Rising Together, A Phenix Gateway Celebration, on Thursday, May 15th. Tickets for this event are available at phenixgateway.org.

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Supported by Local Leaders, CALED’s Annual Conference will be in Ontario this May

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Empowering Economic Growth: CALED Conference Set to Unite Industry Leaders in Ontario

CALED’s ‘Growing Local Economies from the Ground Up’ Conference is being held in Ontario at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport on May 7-9. This event is co-hosted by the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County, with Jennifer McLain Hiramoto, CALED’s Chair of the Board and Derek Armstrong respectively representing their city and county as Co-Chairs of the event.

With over 950 members and 45 years of empowering economic developers, CALED is the largest economic development association in the country and the annual conference is the number one place to meet and connect with the boots-on-the -ground, decision makers in our communities. 

The conference will include a pre-conference teaching tour, ‘Building & Paying for Development Projects’ on May 6th and then begin in full on May 7th, with a welcome session and breakouts. Overall, there will be four general assembly sessions and 18 breakout sessions, which will delve into local economic development practices and innovative tools.

In addition to compelling content, the conference will have numerous opportunities to connect with community leaders and valued peers through networking receptions, the culinary crawl, and new this year, the Tournament of Champions, where conference attendees will navigate a gauntlet of games to win the grand prize on the evening of Thursday, May 8th.

To learn more about the conference and register, visit the CALED website at www.caled.org.

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Strengthening Community Connections: Our Exciting New Partnership with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL

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Contributed Content | By Chris Venhoff, Senior Vice President and Inland Empire Market Leader for Consumer and Business Banking at U.S. Bank

As the Inland Empire market leader for U.S. Bank, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: we are proud to be the Official Bank Partner of Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center. This partnership represents a reflection of our deep commitment to the Inland Empire and our dedication to fostering a vibrant, thriving community.

At U.S. Bank, we believe that strong partnerships drive meaningful progress. Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center are at the heart of the region’s culture and economy, bringing people together for world-class entertainment, business conventions, and community events. By joining forces, we’re not only expanding our presence but also creating opportunities to engage with residents, businesses, and organizations in ways that make a lasting impact.

Through our sponsorship, we’ll support concerts, sporting events, and conventions that showcase the diversity and energy of the Inland Empire. But this is only the beginning. As our partnership evolves, we’ll work closely with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL to introduce community-focused programs, including financial literacy workshops and charitable giving initiatives.

This partnership is designed to bring added value to the people we serve. For our customers, we’re introducing the U.S. Bank Fast Pass Lanes, providing priority access at Toyota Arena events. Special offers, exclusive event experiences, and tailored financial solutions for businesses operating in the region are just a few of the many perks we’re excited to roll out.

Our employees are at the core of our success, and this partnership allows us to recognize their dedication. Through exclusive access to events, corporate hospitality opportunities, and community volunteer programs, our team will have new ways to engage with and celebrate the community they serve.

The Inland Empire is a dynamic, fast-growing region, and we’re committed to supporting its continued success. By investing in Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center, we’re helping to create and sustain jobs while driving local business growth. These venues bring in visitors, revenue, and visibility, strengthening the region’s economy.

This collaboration is about more than just sponsorship—it’s about making a difference. By working together, we can elevate not just these venues but the entire Inland Empire. At U.S. Bank, we’re committed to being a partner in progress, supporting our customers, businesses, and communities every step of the way.

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