Lawmakers seek clarity on US border stance toward Canadian marijuana workers

Be at the forefront of cannabis and psychedelics science and innovation. Register by March 14 & Save $100 on tickets to The Emerald Conference by MJBiz Science, April 1-3 in San Diego.


A bipartisan group of legislators wants the Trump administration to explain how the U.S. plans to deal with Canadians involved in the cannabis industry as that nation rolls out its adult-use market and in the wake of reports of border crackdowns.

According to Rolling Stone, the lawmakers are sending a letter to the administration Wednesday, demanding more information and an in-person briefing.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has said that if a traveler is found to be entering the United States for reasons related to the cannabis industry, they might be deemed inadmissible since marijuana is illegal at the federal level in the U.S. The warning has reportedly caused some Canadians to cancel plans to travel to the United States.

“Why is it that we’re penalizing our biggest trading partner in the world with these archaic, almost Dark Ages-type of (rules)? It makes no sense,” Rep. Lou Correa, a California Democrat, told Rolling Stone. Correa was the main author of the letter.

Here are some basics surrounding the situation:

  • The U.S. stance could potentially impact many Canadians, such as those who work with publicly traded Canadian companies with U.S. operations. But so far, only a small number of Canadians have reported being affected.
  • Individuals found inadmissible to the U.S. face a ban that’s lifted only after the person applies for and is granted a waiver.
  • The CBP recently clarified that those working in Canada’s legal marijuana industry and coming to the United States for reasons unrelated to the marijuana industry “will generally be admissible to the U.S.”