See Los Angeles Pot Store Owner's Tense Drive To Pay Taxes In Cash

LOS ANGELES, CA — In California and other states where marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use, pot store owners often find themselves nervously carrying around large amounts of cash.

That's because most banks want nothing to do with money linked to a plant that remains illegal under federal law. They're afraid they could be prosecuted.

With all that cash, people in the marijuana business worry constantly about getting robbed.

In Los Angeles, Jerred Kiloh, owner of the Higher Path, makes a tension-filled drive downtown once a month to pay his city taxes, with tens of thousands of dollars in his car. He is constantly checking his rear-view mirror, looking for thieves.

Now, Los Angeles might create a municipal bank that would serve cannabis companies. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Photo credit: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press