Pro-marijuana activists are urging the U.S. Treasury Department to issue guidelines that would make allowances for our nation's financial institutions to work with marijuana dispensaries, better known as pot shops.

Marijuana advocates claim that by not having access to banking institutions, pot shops become a public safety issue and are a target for criminal activities.

It is true that pot shops are a public safety issue. It is unlikely though, that the criminal element associated with them will disappear because they establish bank accounts.

After public backlash against the ever-present pot shops, the LA District Attorney's office pledged to crackdown on the illegal businesses, and in May of 2010 ordered 439 dispensaries to close or face criminal and civil penalties. These numbers clearly illustrate that few pot shops operate within compliance of state law.

Please Take Action! and send a message to the U.S. Treasury Department asking them to reject any proposal to issue guidelines that would advise financial institutions to ignore federal laws when dealing with pot shops that may not even be in compliance with their state law.