skip to Main Content
US authorities: Marijuana involvement imperils citizenship

Immigration authorities on Friday said that anyone with any involvement with marijuana, regardless of whether it’s legal in the state where they live, can be denied citizenship because the drug is still illegal under federal law.

The announcement comes weeks after officials in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, began warning residents that working for a dispensary or manufacturing operation could jeopardize their citizenship bids — even if those jobs are state-sanctioned.

The updated guidance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that people who use marijuana or are involved with it in any way fail to have “good moral character,” a prerequisite for people who have legal permanent residence to gain American citizenship.

About two-thirds of states allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and 10 allow recreational use. Washington, D.C., also allows recreational use.

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is required to adjudicate cases based on federal law,” spokeswoman Jessica Collins said in a statement. “Individuals who commit federal controlled substance violations face potential immigration consequences under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which applies to all foreign nationals regardless of the state or jurisdiction in which they reside.” [Read more at AP News]

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Stories

Iowa’s medical marijuana program is 10 years old. How does it compare with other states?

Ten years ago this month, Iowa policymakers made it legal to use cannabis for certain medical treatment, marking the start of what would eventually become Iowa’s existing medical cannabidiol program.…

Is Remediation Safe?

By Tom Hymes Remediation in the cannabis industry has become an increasingly hot topic as the practice has expanded in legal markets throughout the country, and for good reason. Remediation…

9 arrests in EUR 645 million JuicyFields investment scam case

Unreported damages presumably much higher, with 186 000 persons victimised by massive Ponzi scheme A joint investigation conducted by several European law enforcement authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust, has…

A thriving Black woman-owned cannabis business meets suburban resistance

Hope Wiseman is exactly whom Maryland leaders envisioned supporting when cannabis equity became a state initiative. In Prince George’s County, more dispensaries make some residents and lawmakers shudder. The former…

More Categories

Back To Top
×Close search
Search