MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — The legal sale of marijuana in Uruguayan pharmacies is facing challenges as banks refuse to deal with companies linked to the drug in order to follow international financial laws. A government official said Friday that Uruguayan banks risk running afoul of laws that ban receiving money tied to the drug. 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. Among other things, the law prohibits cash or check payments for employees and requires that salaries be paid by direct deposit. Diego Olivera, secretary-general of Uruguay’s National Drugs Council, said authorities are meeting with the pharmacies to find out how many have been warned by banks.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — The legal sale of marijuana in Uruguayan pharmacies is facing challenges as banks refuse to deal with companies linked to the drug in order to follow international financial laws.
A government official said Friday that Uruguayan banks risk running afoul of laws that ban receiving money tied to the drug. The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In July, marijuana went up for sale at 16 pharmacies as part of a 2013 law that made Uruguay first to legalize a pot market covering the entire chain from plants to purchase.
But one pharmacy in the capital, Montevideo, has decided...
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