Can I be prevented from entering the United States if I own shares of a Canadian cannabis producer?

I have heard that one could prohibit me from entering the United States if I own shares of a Canadian cannabis producer. Is it true?

It is very improbable. However, if you admit to smoking marijuana, or if you invest in or do business with a US-based cannabis company, you may be in trouble at the US border.

Canadians can be excluded from the United States as much as to admit that they have used the drug. Olympic snowboarder Ross Rebagliati was the best-known example, but other Canadians were excluded from the United States for the same reason.

Because marijuana is an illegal substance under US federal laws, US border authorities can block people who have simply used the drug in the past. Even though nine US states have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes and 30 states allow the medical use of the drug, when you enter the United States, federal laws apply. (Tip: Never carry any marijuana-based paraphernalia – including clothing or magazines – that could draw attention to the border.)

It's not just addicts who are at risk. Canadians investing in a US-based marijuana company may also have serious problems at the border. Sam Znaimer, a venture capital investor in Vancouver, was trying to travel to the United States in May, when US agents asked him about his investments, which include stakes in the cannabis industry in the United States. United States. It is now forbidden for life to enter the United States

Canadians who are excluded may apply for a temporary dispensation to allow entry, but the process may take up to one year and the waiver must be renewed periodically.

Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer in Blaine, Wash., Recently saw an upsurge in cases of Canadians being denied entry to the United States or being banned from entering the United States. permanent because of direct or indirect commercial links with the cannabis industry in the United States. gentleman in Edmonton who owns a commercial property in Colorado. He had a few leases in his briefcase a few weeks ago and he was undergoing pre-clearance at the Edmonton airport, "Saunders said in an interview. US customs officials realized that one of the tenants of the Edmonton man was involved in the cannabis industry, they "banned him for life from living drug because" He was paid as an owner. "

in Vancouver, who were trying to sell agricultural cutting equipment to a cannabis company in the state of Washington." They had not yet made sales, but they were going to business meetings.

And if you were a Canadian who owns shares of a Canadian marijuana producer such as Canopy Growth Corp. or Aurora Cannabis Inc.? Do you take a risk at the US border?

"I think everything is fine, because everything is in Canada," Saunders said. US border officers "have not been interested in Canadians doing business in the cannabis industry in Canada. These are strictly Canadians who do business in the cannabis industry in the United States. "

" But after the last two or three months, I do not know. I never thought I would see people like Sam [Znaimer] being denied entry. This is a new phenomenon, "said Mr. Saunders

Since we transferred our money to a new advisor in April 2014, we have achieved an annualized total return of about 4, 5% In the last year, until May 31, our return was only 1.7% I'm not happy with that, we own about two-thirds of our money in Canadian and US equities, with the rest being guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, and a small amount of money, and we are giving the advisor a lump sum fee of 1.1%. What you should do?

The first thing you should do is compare your return to a benchmark, and for the period from April 1, 2014 to May 31, 2018, the S & P / TSX Composite Index has posted a total annualized return of approximately 5.7%, baduming that all dividends had been For example, you followed the index over this period by 1.2 percentage points. The difference could be explained by your annual contribution of 1.1% and the fact that you have a portion of your portfolio in the GICs (which is not necessarily a bad thing because people buy GICs for security and not for growth).

Your total return of 1.7 percent for the year to May 31 is a little more troubling. The S & P / TSX Index posted a total return of about 7.8% over this period. So you are far behind the index, even after taking advisor fees and low yielding GICs into account. I suggest you make an appointment with your advisor and ask yourself why your portfolio is lagging behind. Did some stocks or funds hurt a lot? Is there another explanation? Do not let your advisor dismiss your question with a general explanation like "markets are unpredictable" or "do not worry, the portfolio will rebound". You pay for his services and he owes you a detailed explanation so that you can take corrective action, if necessary.