Research shows that state legalization of cannabis reduces deportation of immigrants

There’s another compelling reason to legalize marijuana. States that have legalized cannabis are also experiencing a “moderate relative decline” in immigrant deportation rates compared to states where the drug remains illegal, according to new research.

As a study in the American Journal of Community Psychology shows, immigration raids and deportations create widespread fear and distrust, which have a cascading effect on entire communities. As fear of being targeted grows, people are less likely to contact local institutions such as churches, schools, health clinics, cultural events and social services.

And it is also found that children who experience the sudden, forced deportation of a parent often suffer from a range of psychological problems, including anxiety, anger, aggression and withdrawal. They may also exhibit increased anxiety, difficulty eating and sleeping, PTSD and depression. While these conditions can be treated with cannabis and therapy, the research on cannabis legalization and deportation indicates that we could face such problems if we just legalize it in the first place.

Of course, it is not just about immigrants, even though a better immigration policy benefits everyone. The study, conducted by researchers at Columbia University, also found a slight decrease in the overall number of cannabis-related arrests.

The study authors stated that recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) could “help mitigate some of the unintended immigration-related consequences of cannabis prohibition.” They noted that “arrest trends in both legalization and non-legalization states were relatively similar and generally stable over the period.” They also found that the trends indicated that the overall prevalence of deportations decreased between 2009 and 2020.

Here’s some more of what they had to say:

“Our results suggest that the RCLs were associated with a moderate relative decrease in deportation levels that was observed relatively consistently across multiple model specifications. The findings also suggested a possible relative decrease in the number of immigration arrests; However, for almost all specifications, the associated confidence intervals were wide, including zero. Together, these findings support the general possibility that RCLs can help mitigate some of the unintended immigration-related consequences of cannabis prohibition.”

About ten percent of American families with children have at least one family member who does not have citizenship, and it is estimated that nearly six million children have at least one caregiver without permission to live in the country, putting them at risk for the above-mentioned trauma. and related mental disorders.

The study authors did not draw definitive conclusions about the apparent link between state-level cannabis legalization and reduced deportations. However, it is notable that all eleven immigrant refuges (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, DC), which generally report immigrants to the federal authorities have also legalized cannabis for adult use.

The research concludes that legalization generally results in fewer arrests for cannabis-related crimes, indicating that fewer immigrants are likely to be involved in the criminalization of marijuana from the start.

The researchers identified two ‘counterbalancing pathways’ which they described as ‘relevant for anticipating the potential immigration implications of RCL adoption’, namely:

“First, RCLs could lead to a potential decrease in the overall number of cannabis-related arrests or convictions, and thus cannabis-related immigration enforcement. A second possibility, however, is that state adoption of RCLs could lead more noncitizens to reasonably but incorrectly assume that federal immigration status is unaffected by cannabis use permitted under state law—which could potentially lead to an increase in immigration enforcement.”

So basically, simply legalizing marijuana for everyone will naturally reduce the number of people who are deported for daring to enjoy weed. However, there is also a chance that if recreational cannabis laws are passed, people who are not legal citizens could experience an unfortunately safe, false sense of security.

The study explains that even though some states have legalized cannabis, remember that it is still illegal under federal law. This means that all cannabis-related violations, even seemingly minor violations, can have serious consequences for non-U.S. citizens, such as permanent residents, DACA recipients, and those granted asylum. Under federal policy, simply charging or admitting to possession of a small amount of cannabis can lead to problems with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including affecting immigration status or even leading to arrest, detention or deportation. This includes those working in the cannabis industry, further limiting the scope of employment available to immigrants.

So while legal pot at the state level may cause people to get too comfortable and forget that there is still fear of the federal government, recreational laws overall seem to make life easier for everyone, as shown in this new study on its implications for immigration. .