Immigrants and Marijuana

From the introduction:

“State laws legalizing marijuana provide many benefits, but unfortunately, they also are a trap for unwary immigrants. Believing that they have done nothing wrong, immigrants may readily admit to officials that they possessed marijuana. In some states, such as Washington, ICE, CIS, and/or CBP agents have aggressively asked noncitizens if they ever have possessed marijuana, in an attempt to find people inadmissible. In other states, such as California, CIS does not appear to be doing this, although CBP officials at border and internal checkpoints are.

This Advisory will review the laws and key defense strategies. The very best strategy is to educate noncitizens ahead of time – individually with clients, and also with the community. Advocates can distribute community flyers, talk to local groups, share information through ethnic media including newspapers, radio and television, reach out to past clients, and employ other strategies. The message is simple: Immigration law treats any marijuana-related activity as a crime, with harsh immigration penalties, even if it is permitted under state law. “