It’s January 2019 and cannabis is fully legal in Canada. You’ve obtained every permit required to develop, market, and sell your invention. Everything is above board.

So why would you worry you ever might have a problem at Canada’s border with the United States?

Because U.S. authorities could consider that nutritious blend of dirt that you developed close enough to the cannabis industry that they ban you from travelling to the United States for the rest of your life.

Since most provinces and territories (including B.C.) have decided to sell recreational marijuana via stores and online outlets owned by provincial authorities, many Canadians at risk of U.S. travel bans will be employees of a provincial government.

“In addition to those who have used marijuana, Canadians who are involved with the cannabis economy have been labelled ‘inadmissible because they are considered to be living off the profits of the drug trade,” reads an article by Star Metro Vancouver staff reporter Perrin Grauer. “Once banned for life, they must seek legal waivers from an immigration lawyer—good for between one and five years—for the rest of their lives when they wish to cross the border.”

In 2017, Statistics Canada estimated that nearly five million Canadians spent roughly $5.7 billion on cannabis.

A recent analysis by Bloomberg found that there are 84 public companies in Canada traded on stock exchanges that are related to cannabis. They’re worth an estimated $48.64 billion.

See the original article at The Georgia Straight