Safe Harbor Financial Launches Industry's First Fully Managed Cannabis Banking Program for Financial Institutions
DENVER, Sept. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SHF Holdings, Inc., d/b/a Safe Harbor Financial (Safe Harbor or the "Company") (NASDAQ:SHFS), a fintech leader in providing financial services and credit facilities to the regulated cannabis industry, announced the official launch of its Fully Managed Cannabis Banking Program, the industry's first and only solution offering complete operational and compliance outsourcing for financial institutions. The announcement comes ahead of CEO Terry Mendez's participation in the PBC Conference 2025, where he will join industry leaders to discuss the future of cannabis banking, reinforcing the Company's commitment to delivering compliant, scalable financial infrastructure at a national level.
The turnkey program is designed for community banks, credit unions and financial institutions seeking to serve the legal cannabis market without expanding internal teams, taking on new risk, staffing or marketing cannabis services directly. From client acquisition and onboarding to compliance oversight and account support, Safe Harbor handles 100% of the program operations while deposits are held directly by the partner institution.
"For more than a decade, we've helped financial institutions navigate the complexities of cannabis banking," said Terry Mendez, CEO of Safe Harbor Financial. "This launch comes as financial institutions increasingly seek safe, scalable ways to serve the cannabis market while mitigating regulatory ambiguity. Our program fills this gap with a proven, compliant path to growth. We're making it easier than ever by offering our proven, fully managed model that allows institutions to benefit from cannabis deposits without the added burden of risk, overhead or reputation management."
Key features of the program include:
- Sticky Deposit Growth: Licensed cannabis operators are vetted, acquired and onboarded by Safe Harbor, with deposits placed directly at the partner bank or credit union.
- Complete Operational Outsourcing: Safe Harbor manages all aspects of program execution, including BSA/AML compliance, client service, business development, marketing and reporting.
- Reputational Shield: The program is operated under the Safe Harbor brand, insulating financial institutions from direct cannabis association.
- Improved Efficiency Ratio: By minimizing startup costs and operational overhead, the program enables financial institutions and cannabis businesses to achieve stronger margins and more efficient resource utilization.
Mendez added: "While some providers offer software tools or compliance platforms, Safe Harbor delivers a fully outsourced, operationally managed banking solution – no new staffing, infrastructure or internal cannabis program needed."
"Banks and credit unions often want to serve the cannabis market but are constrained by staffing limitations or reputational concerns," said Kimberly Seefried, vice president of Safe Harbor and head of the Company's Fully Managed Cannabis Banking Program. "This program eliminates those barriers. We bring our proven model, team and brand – they simply hold the deposits."
Safe Harbor's Fully Managed Program represents a strategic expansion of a model the company has privately operated since 2015. With over $26 billion in cannabis-related deposits processed to date across 41 U.S. states and territories, Safe Harbor is now opening its proven platform to additional partners with financial institutions nationwide.
The program also offers a seamless exit strategy for institutions winding down cannabis banking operations, enabling them to transfer deposit management and client servicing to Safe Harbor without disrupting relationships.
About Safe Harbor:
Safe Harbor is a cannabis-exclusive financial platform delivering smarter banking, lending, payments and business services tailored to how the cannabis industry actually operates. As one of the original pioneers of compliant cannabis banking in the U.S., Safe Harbor has facilitated more than $25 billion in cannabis-related transactions across 41 states and territories. Through its proprietary Cannabis Banking Solutions™ Platform and network of regulated financial institution partners, Safe Harbor empowers cannabis operators to gain clarity, control and confidence in their financial operations. From daily banking to long-term growth, Safe Harbor provides real solutions and personal support—built exclusively for cannabis. For more information, visit www.SHFinancial.org.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain information contained in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included herein may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to trends in the cannabis industry, including proposed changes in U.S and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance relating to Safe Harbor's services; Safe Harbor's growth prospects and Safe Harbor's market size; Safe Harbor's projected financial and operational performance, including relative to its competitors and historical performance; success or viability of new product and service offerings Safe Harbor may introduce in the future; the impact volatility in the capital markets, which may adversely affect the price of Safe Harbor's securities; the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been or may be brought by or against Safe Harbor; and other statements regarding Safe Harbor's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "outlook," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would," and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in Safe Harbor's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Safe Harbor undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.
Safe Harbor Investor Relations Contact:
[email protected]
Safe Harbor Media Relations Contact:
Ellen Mellody
570-209-2947
[email protected]
