Marijuana is a controlled substance under federal law, which makes it is illegal to possess or distribute the drug. Conversely, in a growing number of states it is legal to possess and distribute marijuana. What does this mean? Well, in the context of lawful permanent residents (green card holders or LPRs) who are wanting to apply for citizenship, it means some people could have a very big problem. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the federal agency charged with approving or denying LPR applications for citizenship. USCIS applies federal law in adjudicating those applications. In short, a person could very well abide by the law of a state and not run the risk of criminal prosecution, but still be denied citizenship by USCIS for breaking federal law. USCIS recently issued clarification on its intentions stating that federal law “does not recognize the decriminalization of marijuana for any purpose, even in places where s...
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