Immigrants in Illinois Urged not to Consume Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]mmigrants in Illinois—including legal ones—are being urged not to consume cannabis, despite the fact that it is legal, for fear of deportation or other negative blowback.

According to the Chicago Tribune, this is mainly because cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Any tie that anti-immigration proponents could possibly link between cannabis and drug trafficking for an illegal immigrant, even if they are only buying legal cannabis, could spell trouble.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know about these consequences,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, executive director of PASO West Suburban Action Project. “ . . . Just admitting use makes you a potential target for deportation. So you don’t have to have a criminal arrest or conviction; you just have to admit to use.”

Ruiz-Velasco claimed that immigrants living in mixed-status households, meaning some family members are U.S. citizens while others aren’t, should also avoid getting jobs in the cannabis industry. For undocumented people, even having a family member in the industry could be a red flag.

However, immigration officials didn’t make a comment on how valid these claims are. They simply released a statement explaining, “ICE continues to pursue foreign-born nationals convicted of drug-related offenses by local and state law enforcement.”

“The policy guidance also clarifies that an applicant (for citizenship) who is involved in certain marijuana-related activities may lack good moral character if found to have violated federal law, even if such activity has been decriminalized under applicable state laws,” the agency’s website states.

While Illinois residents are ready and excited for legalization, it hasn’t been without pitfalls so far. Many are already up in arms that Illinois public housing residents will not be able to use cannabis, and others are concerned about getting records wiped before focusing on the new, legal industry. It seems clear that this is another social justice issue the state must tackle before everyone can have access to cannabis.