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Does smoking cannabis make you a bad person? U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) think so, as they clarified in a document published on Friday, April 19. The note explicitly states that “an applicant who is involved in certain marijuana-related activities may lack good moral character [...], even if such activity has been decriminalized under applicable state laws.”
In other words, a Green Card holder (or other documented immigrant) who smokes a blunt in Colorado or uses legal medical marijuana to ease his pain in Illinois could be denied citizenship for it. Even worse is the fact that a person can be denied citizenship for simply working in a dispensary or participating in the ever-growing cannabis industry. Only one exception is made for people found guilty of a single offense for simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock took a stand against this after he met with U.S. residents who were denied citizenship for their involvement in the cannabis industry, as ABC News reports. Additionally, the applicants for citizenship were advised not to travel outside of the U.S. for any reason, as they could be denied reentry despite being having legal residency in the country. “Legal immigrants shall not be penalized for working in the legitimate cannabis industry,” Hancock stated in a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General William Barr.
What Exactly Is ‘Good Moral Character?’
The onus is on immigrants to prove they are “good” people if they want to become U.S. citizens. What constitutes good moral character is defined by precise rules, according to which people are found lacking if they have ever partaken in murder, polygamy, habitual drinking, gambling, criminal activities (with or without an actual conviction for same), failure to support dependents, extramarital sex (if it hurt a marriage), moral turpitude and more. These rules are obviously derived from a subjective sense of morality; many of these are quite clearly outdated.
In a more general manner, USCIS defines good moral character as “character which measures up to the standards of average citizens of the community in which the applicant resides.” However, according to the latest CBS poll, 65% of Americans are in favor of marijuana legalization and 55% admit to having tried marijuana, and most states have legalized it already to some degree.
So, aren’t the “average citizens” in favor of cannabis consumption rather than against it? How, then, can it a breach of “good moral character” to partake in activities that most wouldn’t consider immoral?
