Canadian pot investors are being banned from entering the U.S. no…this is NOT fake news it is CBS…it appears that the US Dept. of Justice under AG Jeff Sessions has moved to BAN Canadians that invest in cannabis from entering the US with LIFETIME BANS on US entry.
The U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection didn’t respond when asked if these actions are part of a new border enforcement policy. Instead, it notes that “marijuana remains federally prohibited in the United States,” that it’s “officers are thoroughly trained on admissibility factors” and that their determinations “are made on a case-by-case basis …based on the facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time.”
But that’s little comfort to Sam Znamier. Although he may be able to get a costly and temporary waiver to his ban sometime in the future, for now, he’s unable to cross the world’s longest international border, possibly for the rest of his life.
The impact on Canadian businesspeople is dramatic, but Americans who travel overseas and return to the U.S. are not affected because by law American citizens cannot be stopped from returning home.
Be careful with this…we are are not talking about a simple problem…the result could be a lifetime ban from EVER being allowed to enter the US again and even marriage to an American citizen can not overcome the ban.
Canadians have long been barred from entering the U.S. with a simple “yes” answer to the CBP query “Have you ever used marijuana?”
That alone was ludicrous.
Now, for CBP to bar foreign cannabis investors from entering the U.S. is just plain stupid and in the same shortsighted, misaligned spirit (and personal Session-centric universe, it seems) in which the American Public has come to know Jeff Sessions to operate.
This is much more serious that that question…this labels a person as profiting from the drug trade, and it DOES NOT even have to be a “touch the plant” investment.
They have already done that and more…Under American law, people working in the cannabis industry are considered to be living off the profits of the drug trade…which is a major problem for the U.S. war on drugs.
Taking this approach, the question of whether or not the person actually uses marijuana is likely to be irrelevant. It also does not seem to matter that Canadians are working legally, in a legal industry, and earning a legal income, in their own country.
An affront on justice, perhaps…but American border guards are just doing their job when they enforce American laws.
It may a lot of things.but it truly is what the US law says right now…and someone who is denied is going to have to go to court and apply for a limited duration waiver…I am stunned but that seems to be where they are taking this.
I see it as a vast overreach of the United States’ own misguided Drug War. Now we are encroaching on the national interests of another country’s domestic drug and economic policies.
I am never stunned by the actions of this AG… I would have died from a shock-induced heart attack by now!
Actually…we aren’t encroaching…we are precluding them from coming here…not quite the same thing…we can’t prevent US citizens from returning to the US, but they can pretty much ban entry as they see fit, and border control is ENTIRELY a Federal jurisdiction issue.
Given the general approach Orange 45 has to international policy this really comes as no surprise to us lot sitting on the outside looking in on what is going on in the USA at the moment. A country that is unfortunately clutching at straws to try and stay relevant whilst at the same time moving backwards at an incredible pace on the international scene. That said the UKs approach to cannabis is no better and quite laughable when compared to what is going on in Europe and the rest of the world.
As a Canadian who is about to have literally millions invested into the US market in the next year (different equipment etc) this is absolutely a concern for me. The reality is that the US is way more developed in this industry and therefore a lot of equipment has to come from south of the border and I like to see what I’m buying.
That being said, I absolutely intend on attempting to cross the border. I have a lifelong history as a frequent crosser and was even a cross-border trucker for a time where I spent 90% of my time there (Hello Yuma AZ! My second home for a while it seemed.) My record there is impeccable.
Here is what my intended response will be if they accuse me of drug trafficking or otherwise: while the company I run may be deemed illegal in you’re country, it is fully legal in my country and therefore there is no crossreference of criminal codes possible due to the fact that my activity doesn’t apply to our criminal code in any way. Even then, the transactions I am completing are with federally legal companies in your country and the monies being spent cannot be considered from drug activity due to the fact that they were obtained through a financier who earned it through other legal means and the equipment was never designed to work only with Cannabis. Hops are a common legal crop that is also used with this equipment. I myself have not personally invested money and therefore cannot be directly held to this spesific legislation. Plus, YOUR president openly and publicly admitted that he would support Cannabis reform. Last I checked, he’s the boss. Not Jeff. Plus last I also checked, President Trump is pro-money coming into the country, in a pretty intense way at that. If this legislation is actually enforceable, then I expect Aphria, Canopy Growth and other publicly traded Cannabis companies to be disbanded from the NYSE immediately otherwise this is a discriminatory action towards myself and my company.
I know it’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try. Worse case I get banned. The way I look at it is that opens up a court case to debate the issue as is my right and that will only open the political flood gates. I’ll blow the case right up and make sure it becomes big news. You’re going to deny somebody who is about to invest millions into your country? Lets see what the federal judge has to say about that. Which only gives opportunity for public opinion which consequently creates demand for change from government.
I’ll let you all know how my first crossing goes when I get to it.
Another good point. Looks like TD bank will have to close their stores in the US because they have plenty of pot accounts up here. They won’t admit it but a search into their records will show.
Of course that won’t happen because they’re a “respectable bank”
Actually…calling TD Bank a respectable bank is pushing it. Keep in mind, that the rules were are talking about here have NO EFFECT, ZERO NADA on US citizens, Green Card Holders or US businesses…they can’t exclude us from our own country. These rules are solely aimed at non-US persons and businesses.
