Even after a positive legislative session, Maine cannabis caregivers still remain under attack, this time in the form of banking.

On June 12, 2025, cPort Credit Union sent this message out to the remaining 1600 Maine Medical Caregivers. 

Dear Member, 

cPort Credit Union has made the difficult decision to discontinue financial services for caregiver accounts that are not affiliated with a licensed cannabis dispensary or adult-use cannabis business. 

As banking regulatory expectations continue to evolve, we have carefully reassessed our risk exposure and concluded that this change is necessary to ensure ongoing compliance with federal and state expectations. 

Because your business is classified as an unaffiliated caregiver account, your Port cannabis-related business account(s) will be closed on July 31, 2025. Any remaining funds in your account(s) as of that date will be mailed by check to the business address on file. This has been an extremely difficult decision for us, and we acknowledge the impact this will have on your business. 

If you have questions about your Port account closure status, or would like to close your account prior to July 31, 2025, please contact us by phone at (207) 200-2271 or email CRB Support@cportcu.org.” 

So, cPort Credit Union just slid this little breakup letter into caregiver inboxes like it wasn’t the most cowardly move they’ve made yet. Let’s translate their PR word salad into plain English: 

“We’ve decided to stop banking caregiver accounts that aren’t tied to a licensed dispensary or adult-use business.” 

Cool. So, in other words: “If you didn’t sell out to the corporate system or can’t afford a dispo license, you’re dead to us.” 

Let’s be honest, caregivers are the backbone of cannabis in Maine. They built this movement when no one else would touch it and let’s be honest again, caregivers’ money probably bought several branches of cPort as well to help the bank itself grow.

Caregivers served patients when it was still risky. And they’ve been operating in compliance, under constant scrutiny, while still managing to do the work better, cleaner, and more compassionately than most state-sanctioned dispensaries in the country. And Medical still outsells Adult use in Maine 

But now, when the pressure’s on, cPort folds like a cheap lawn chair. 

“As banking regulatory expectations continue to evolve…”

Yo. Stop. Cannabis banking regs haven’t evolved, they’ve stagnated like everything else on the federal level with cannabis. Everyone’s still waiting on SAFE Banking or rescheduling to actually shift the game. If anything, other credit unions, like Evergreen Credit Union across the state are expanding caregiver access.

So this ain’t about compliance , it’s about convenience. You didn’t want to deal with the so-called “risk” of doing right by the people who kept your lights on, so you kicked ‘em to the curb. cPort has told members of the cannabis community that “it takes too long to count the cash” and that’s why at that time they increased the percentage rate on cash deposits. 

“This has been an extremely difficult decision for us…” 

Nah. You don’t get to pull the “this hurts me more than it hurts you” card when you’re gutting small businesses and patient access. Miss us with the corporate guilt trip.

This was about playing nice with regulators and big-money operators, and tossing the grassroots cannabis community overboard like dead weight. Dont forget cPort on the Board of Directors has former State Rep. Barabar Woods who has always been a pain in the grass to Maine Caregivers and Patients and is widely known around circles to be close with you guessed it, Gov. Janet Mills 

This ain’t just a policy change, it was a literal cash grab. 

Let’s be real: if you’re not standing with caregivers, you’re standing in the way. The legacy market is the reason there’s even a legal market to begin with.

And every time one of these so-called “community banks” ditches caregivers in favor of state-sanctioned money mills, they expose themselves as just another cog in the machine.

To be crystal clear, Cport wouldn’t be what it is today with caregivers cold, hard, cash. 

So here’s the deal: 

cPort just showed us their true colors to the Maine cannabis caregivers. Don’t forget it. 

Support the credit unions that still ride for caregivers. Spend your energy building networks that can’t be dismantled by cowardly policy pivots. And if you’re a patient or a consumer, start asking your bank and your budtender where they stand, because if they’re not backing the roots, they’re just watering weeds. 

RIP to cPort’s integrity and the ice cream sandwiches.