like Ive said all along.. lol
A U.S. immigration lawyer says Justin Trudeau could be barred from travelling to the U.S. once he’s no longer prime minister because he once admitted to smoking pot.
“He’s admitted to smoking marijuana as an MP,” Len Saunders, a lawyer for The Immigration Law Firm in Washington state, told Canadian senators Monday. “The second that Prime Minister Trudeau is no longer prime minister, traveling on a diplomatic passport, he is no longer admissible to the United States.”
It’s a point he made to underscore that Canadians need to know the consequences of admitting they’ve smoked up to border guards, and that the Canadian government needs to do more to warn them about that.
Saunders told a senate committee that crossing the border will be a serious problem for any Canadians consuming pot after legalization.
“U.S. customs and border protection officers are going to be asking these questions more frequently because they’re going to know it’s legal in Canada,” he said.
He said every Canadian who consumes legal weed could be deemed inadmissible to the U.S., and that they need to know they don’t have to answer whether they smoke marijuana recreationally.
“When Trump talks about building a wall on the southern border, I see a wall on the northern border for Canadians because of marijuana,” he said. “There is a brick wall going up … if they answer truthfully they’ve smoked marijuana.”
In another example, Saunders pointed to a Canadian consultant in the cannabis industry who recently had his E-1 Visa denied for selling his services in the U.S. – and was barred from visiting there for life because he’s considered “aiding and abetting” the illegal drug industry.
Other cannabis industry workers – even investors – would also have problems.
“My feeling is anyone involved in that industry is subject to denied entry into the United States,” he said. “It’s the kiss of death, anything related to marijuana at the ports of entry.”
But he said the biggest issue is with young Canadians, who will probably feel the brunt of border problems. People who are barred need to get special waivers to enter again, which can cost them hundreds of dollars.
Canadian border officials said there is “no indication” the U.S. will change its tune on how it deals with pot-smoking border-crossers after Canada legalizes cannabis this summer.
Peter Hill, associate vice-president of the programs branch at Canada Border Services Agency, said there is currently “no indication the U.S. is planning to change their posture.”
“Every indication is they will continue their current practices,” he said.
He said Canada has created a working group of senior officials and subject matter experts to deal with border issues related to cannabis legalization, and they’re exploring different “scenarios” with U.S. counterparts.
Last fall, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Canadians should be “forthright and honest” with border officers when answering questions, and shouldn’t lie abut anything.
Kevin Thompson, the director general of the North America Strategy Bureau at Global Affairs, told Senators that while Canada is talking with the U.S. about border-crossing issues related to legalization, countries have a sovereign right to create and enforce their own border laws how they like.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said Canadians accidentally bringing small amounts of cannabis into the U.S. will become a problem after Canada legalizes pot.
He said the government needs to put up warning signs and start public education efforts because people will cross land borders “inadvertently having cannabis in the vehicle.”
He said some will simply forget they have it, only to suddenly realize they need to dispose of it before approaching the border checkpoint.
He said public education and warning signs “would be quite important.”
Saunders agreed it will become issue.
“They’re going to be leaving it in their back seat…in their glove compartment – and when they find it at the ports of entry, it’s going to create lifetime bars,” he said. “These are the ramifications, unfortunately, for legalizing marijuana in Canada.”
A U.S. immigration lawyer says Justin Trudeau could be barred from travelling to the U.S. once he’s no longer prime minister because he once admitted to smoking pot.
“He’s admitted to smoking marijuana as an MP,” Len Saunders, a lawyer for The Immigration Law Firm in Washington state, told Canadian senators Monday. “The second that Prime Minister Trudeau is no longer prime minister, traveling on a diplomatic passport, he is no longer admissible to the United States.”
It’s a point he made to underscore that Canadians need to know the consequences of admitting they’ve smoked up to border guards, and that the Canadian government needs to do more to warn them about that.
Saunders told a senate committee that crossing the border will be a serious problem for any Canadians consuming pot after legalization.
“U.S. customs and border protection officers are going to be asking these questions more frequently because they’re going to know it’s legal in Canada,” he said.
He said every Canadian who consumes legal weed could be deemed inadmissible to the U.S., and that they need to know they don’t have to answer whether they smoke marijuana recreationally.
“When Trump talks about building a wall on the southern border, I see a wall on the northern border for Canadians because of marijuana,” he said. “There is a brick wall going up … if they answer truthfully they’ve smoked marijuana.”
In another example, Saunders pointed to a Canadian consultant in the cannabis industry who recently had his E-1 Visa denied for selling his services in the U.S. – and was barred from visiting there for life because he’s considered “aiding and abetting” the illegal drug industry.
Other cannabis industry workers – even investors – would also have problems.
“My feeling is anyone involved in that industry is subject to denied entry into the United States,” he said. “It’s the kiss of death, anything related to marijuana at the ports of entry.”
But he said the biggest issue is with young Canadians, who will probably feel the brunt of border problems. People who are barred need to get special waivers to enter again, which can cost them hundreds of dollars.
Canadian border officials said there is “no indication” the U.S. will change its tune on how it deals with pot-smoking border-crossers after Canada legalizes cannabis this summer.
Peter Hill, associate vice-president of the programs branch at Canada Border Services Agency, said there is currently “no indication the U.S. is planning to change their posture.”
“Every indication is they will continue their current practices,” he said.
He said Canada has created a working group of senior officials and subject matter experts to deal with border issues related to cannabis legalization, and they’re exploring different “scenarios” with U.S. counterparts.
Last fall, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Canadians should be “forthright and honest” with border officers when answering questions, and shouldn’t lie abut anything.
Kevin Thompson, the director general of the North America Strategy Bureau at Global Affairs, told Senators that while Canada is talking with the U.S. about border-crossing issues related to legalization, countries have a sovereign right to create and enforce their own border laws how they like.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said Canadians accidentally bringing small amounts of cannabis into the U.S. will become a problem after Canada legalizes pot.
He said the government needs to put up warning signs and start public education efforts because people will cross land borders “inadvertently having cannabis in the vehicle.”
He said some will simply forget they have it, only to suddenly realize they need to dispose of it before approaching the border checkpoint.
He said public education and warning signs “would be quite important.”
Saunders agreed it will become issue.
“They’re going to be leaving it in their back seat…in their glove compartment – and when they find it at the ports of entry, it’s going to create lifetime bars,” he said. “These are the ramifications, unfortunately, for legalizing marijuana in Canada.”
