As the revenue of cannabis-related businesses continues to grow, so do the risks associated with inconsistent regulatory guidance. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. However, in this $8 billion dollar industry financial institutions of all sizes now offer financial services to marijuana-related businesses. Therein lie the risks.

Know your customer (KYC) is important for any type of banking. In an industry still mostly regulated by individual states and getting more complex, it is crucial for FIs to KYC to manage and mitigate financial and regulatory risks.