Working in the US Cannabis Industry

[Teemo 252]

Hello - I am leaving the country and returning with AP for the first time. I am applying for AoS as married to a USC, and I received my EAD/advance parole a few weeks ago.

 

I just accepted a job at a firm that provides advice/capital raising to cannabis firms in the US, and and owns minority percentages of cannabis companies. I do not believe we are doing anything federally illegal. We are not "touching the plant." We are not involved in the actual growing and selling of weed, just advising those who are (state legally) doing it on how to grow their business. 

 

1) Is it likely they will ask who I work for at the port of entry on my return, and press me for the name of the company? (trip is for leisure but I will be at a port of entry for first time in 4 years)

2) do i have to tell them the name of the firm and what the firm does if asked (it has a website so it can be looked up), or can I just say "Finance/advisory/capital raising firm" and leave it at that? (I have no intention of lying or misrepresenting myself, just not giving all extraneous information unless required)

3) will it be a problem to enter if I work for this firm and they get the name and industry out of me?

 

Thanks

[TNJ17 1,329]

I doubt they will get into any details about your job. Of course that if asked you must answer with the truth. But if what you do is legal and you have all your paperwork correct and you don’t have any red flags in your background you will be just fine. I honestly don’t think you have anything to worry about. 

[Teemo 252]

25 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

I doubt they will get into any details about your job. Of course that if asked you must answer with the truth. But if what you do is legal and you have all your paperwork correct and you don’t have any red flags in your background you will be just fine. I honestly don’t think you have anything to worry about. 

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it. I worry that some overzealous CBP officer will think it is "aiding and betting the illegal drug industry" (see below excerpt)

 

This is not exactly my situation, but a bit scary nonetheless:

https://lift.co/magazine/cannabis-questions-us-border

 

"As Canada inches closer to legalizing recreational cannabis, lawyers and lawmakers are highlighting an issue that is already affecting citizens at the border: Canadians who admit to ever using cannabis are finding themselves banned from the United States.

Alan Ranta is one of them. In 2016, the music journalist was driving from Vancouver to a festival in Washington state. At the border, a guard asked if he had ever smoked cannabis. He decided to answer honestly – conceding that he uses cannabis regularly but had none with him – and was shocked to find himself in handcuffs as a result. Now he's barred from the United States for life, and the ban will never be lifted. "

 

"As more Canadians start to work for cannabis companies, they could face snags when travelling for work or applying for a visa. Saunders told the committee of a client applying for an E-1 visa to work in the U.S. providing consulting services to the legal cannabis industry.

"Not only was he denied his investor visa, he was deemed inadmissible for life as someone who’s aiding and abetting the illegal drug industry," Saunders said."

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

 It is still illegal at the federal level , so you do run some risk.