Compliance Chatter Series Part 3: Risky Business: US Immigration Law and the Marijuana Industry

Webinar
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern 
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Central 
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mountain
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific 

Despite the growing trend by states and foreign countries to legalize cannabis for recreational or medicinal use, and the growth of the legalized cannabis business in the U.S. and abroad, federal law and policy regulating marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance remain unchanged. 

Recently, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced a new section of its Policy Manual on cannabis involvement, asserting that -- despite state and foreign legalization or decriminalization -- possession, production or distribution of marijuana remained a presumptive barrier to naturalization. In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has announced new bars to entry for Canadians “working in or facilitating the proliferation of the legal marijuana industry.

Join us for Part Three of our Compliance Chatter Series to better understand the legal framework relating to cannabis and U.S. immigration consequences.  We will discuss the current Administration’s approach to cannabis prohibition as enforced by USCIS, CBP, and the U.S. Department of State.

In this session we will:

• Review applicable immigration laws with respect to cannabis use, possession and trafficking. 
• Explain USCIS’s general adjudication policies on involvement with controlled substances.
• Discuss USCIS’s and CBP’s recent policy updates with respect to cannabis possession, production, distribution and facilitation. 
• Explore potential risks to businesses whose noncitizen employees engage in or facilitate the cannabis trade.
• Explore potential implications for future travel and eligibility for immigration benefits as applied to nonimmigrants, permanent residents and applicants for naturalization of employment and/or investment in legal marijuana businesses.
• Outline possible strategies for those with past or present cannabis involvement now seeking visas, naturalization, planning international travel and/or pursuing other immigration benefits.

If you have any questions, please contact Cassie Peterson at clpeterson@seyfarth.com and reference this event.

*CLE Credit for this webinar has been awarded in the following states: CA, IL, NJ and NY. CLE Credit is pending for GA, TX and VA. Please note that in order to receive full credit for attending this webinar, the registrant must be present for the entire session.