Being an immigrant in America right now is hard enough. But being an undocumented immigrant is filled with a whole different level of uncertainty and difficulty. Simply coming from a different country and living in the US creates challenges those of us born here never have to consider. But as a nation with a large segment of the population whose ancestors were once very undocumented and (understatement-of-the-year alert) didn’t treat the Native people here all that well, the manner in which we welcome anyone who’s chosen to make a life here should be held to a very high standard.
Speaking of high, it’s (perhaps) common knowledge that if you’re undocumented, using cannabis is a bad idea, as it can be grounds for deportation. And as our vile, racist President Donald Trump—who lost the popular vote by 2,864,974 votes—has demonstrated time and again, removing undocumented immigrants from this country makes him very happy.
But those lucky enough to have the resources to apply for and obtain a green card, or are working towards citizenship should be okay, right? Lawful permanent residents are generally subject to the same criminal laws as citizens, so it would stand to reason that includes partaking of cannabis, or working in the rapidly expanding cannabis industry, right?
Much like the haircut I sported through high school, wrong. Very wrong.
