For Canadian marijuana investors, coming to U.S. is a ‘crapshoot’ that can end in lifetime ban

Immigration lawyer sees ‘potential chilling effect’ on investment; investor who was banned calls it ‘one of the worst experiences of my life’

Visiting the U.S. is a “crapshoot” that could lead to a lifetime ban for foreign nationals who are invested or work in the Canadian marijuana industry, which could hurt the booming sector, immigration lawyers said Friday.

Todd Owen — a senior officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, overseeing border operations — told Politico in an interview published Thursdaythat border agents would still seek to permanently ban any foreign visitor who admits to working or investing in the cannabis industry, or admits to have taken the drug, even after recreational marijuana use becomes legal in Canada on Oct. 17.

MarketWatch confirmed that stance in an email exchange with a CBP spokeswoman, who said investors could face a permanent ban from entering the U.S.

“Although medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in some U.S. states and Canada, the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana or the facilitation of the aforementioned remain illegal under U.S. federal law,” spokeswoman Stephanie Malin said in a statement.

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