Cannabis businesses are seeking greater access to credit, payment services and other traditional financial products as the industry prepares for potential changes in federal marijuana and hemp policy, according to a new industry survey released today.
Shield Compliance released its 2026 Cannabis Industry Banking Satisfaction Survey on September 10 during the PBC Conference, finding that access to commercial credit remains a significant challenge even as businesses report improving relationships with their financial institutions.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 73%, said federal marijuana rescheduling is either “very likely” or “likely” to affect their business. Operators said they are looking for guidance from financial institutions regarding potential changes to banking requirements and taxes, along with expanded access to lending, lines of credit and payment services.
Just 5% of respondents said commercial credit is readily available to their businesses. Another 45% described credit as somewhat available, while 38% said it is not available.
Demand was particularly strong for operating lines of credit, sought by 74% of respondents. Equipment financing was identified by 57%, while 55% expressed interest in real estate loans.
Businesses also reported demand for additional financial products including business-to-business payment services, money market or savings accounts, retail payment processing and payroll services.
Despite those limitations, satisfaction with existing banking relationships increased considerably over the past year. Shield Compliance said 92% of respondents reported favorable satisfaction with their financial institution, compared with 84% in 2025.
The percentage of businesses that said they were likely to switch financial institutions during the next 12 months fell from 23% to 12%.
“One of the clearest themes from this year’s survey is that personal service continues to drive customer loyalty,” said Tony Repanich, president and CEO of Shield Compliance. “Operators cited responsive relationship managers and industry expertise as the primary reasons they stay with their financial institutions.”
Federal hemp policy is also expected to have an impact. Nearly 40% of respondents said restrictions targeting intoxicating hemp products would affect their business by a moderate amount or more. Some businesses said they could reformulate products or change product lines, while others expect tighter rules to reduce competition from products sold outside state-regulated marijuana markets.
Cash flow and profitability remained respondents’ leading financial concerns, followed by access to credit and regulatory compliance.
At the same time, businesses expressed some optimism about the industry’s financial outlook. Fifty-one percent said they expect cannabis industry profitability to be better or much better over the next two to three years.
The survey was conducted by Shield Compliance, a company that provides compliance technology and services to financial institutions serving marijuana and other high-risk industries, with underwriting support from cannabis and hemp business intelligence company Emerald Intel.
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