In 2019, merchant processor Fortress Payment Technologies announced that it would no longer be able to accept Visa payments for cannabidiol (CBD) related products. The announcement only gave merchants eight hours’ notice of the change, this is just one example of the many financial hurdles that the cannabis industry has faced when trying to process transactions for cannabis-related products. Unfortunately, because legislation and regulations in the cannabis industry are still evolving, the industry is consistently dealing with these obstacles. To avoid any possible risks, even in areas where cannabis is now legal, most banks, credit card companies, and payment providers will avoid working directly with cannabis transactions. Due to difficulties faced with transactions, many businesses are inclined to use cash as their standard payment method. However, storing cash presents a whole host of problems for businesses. Not only are businesses’ security compromised with the increased possibility of theft, but also their employee’s safety when transporting cash. To provide a solution to the problem the cannabis industry has been facing, London-based startup Quannabu has launched a decentralized payment network for cannabis-related transactions on the blockchain. Quannabu also has a payment platform called Quannabu Pay, which is built on the blockchain and allows businesses and consumers to seamlessly transfer funds without any f...
