Medical Marijuana Laws Initially "Passed to Doobie Us" Now Classified as "Dubious"
Growing Concern: POTentially Illegal based on Federal Law
Growing Concern: POTentially Illegal based on Federal Law
So far, American Express has given no reason for the new rule, leaving medical marijuana dispensaries and their customers guessing at possible causes. One theory is that the card issuer has received complaints from companies about their employees using their American Express cards to purchase medical marijuana. American Express may also have received a high number of fraudulent or unauthorized charges from medical marijuana dispensaries due to people using forged or stolen cards to obtain pot.
While legal marijuana may be used for illegal purposes, a lot of sick patients need the drug. Many would argue that American Express’ move is an audacious one, wondering how the company can overrule a practice that 15 states have made legal.
An American Express spokesperson said the change was made because it is the company’s policy to follow "Federal Guidelines."
