I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1614 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that marijuana 

use, possession, and distribution may not be considered for determinations of whether a person is a person of good moral character, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2021 

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide 

that marijuana use, possession, and distribution may not 

be considered for determinations of whether a person 

is a person of good moral character, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Destigmatizing in Im5 migration Act’’. 


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•HR 1614 IH

1 SEC. 2. MARIJUANA USE, POSSESSION, AND DISTRIBUTION 

2 NOT CONSIDERED FOR GOOD MORAL CHAR3 ACTER OR GROUNDS FOR INADMISSIBILITY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Immigration and Nationality 

5 Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended— 

6 (1) in section 101 (8 U.S.C. 1101)— 

7 (A) in subsection (a)(43)(B), by inserting 

8 ‘‘other than the distribution of marijuana,’’ 

9 after ‘‘(as defined in section 102 of the Con10 trolled Substances Act)’’; and 

11 (B) in subsection (f)— 

12 (i) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘a 

13 single offense of simple possession of 30 

14 grams or less of marihuana’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘offenses involving the use, possession, or 

16 distribution of marijuana’’; and 

17 (ii) by adding at the end the fol18 lowing: ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provi19 sion of this Act, any offenses or conduct 

20 involving the use, possession, or distribu21 tion of marijuana shall not be considered 

22 in a determination of whether a person is 

23 a person of good moral character.’’; 

24 (2) in section 212(a)(2) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)), 

25 by amending subparagraph (F) to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(F) MARIJUANA OFFENSES.—Notwith2 standing any other provision of this section, any 

3 offenses involving the use, possession, or dis4 tribution of marijuana shall not be considered 

5 as grounds of inadmissibility.’’; and 

6 (3) in section 237(a)(2)(B)(i) (8 U.S.C. 

7 1227(a)(2)(B)(i)), by striking ‘‘other than a single 

8 offense involving possession for one’s own use of 30 

9 grams or less of marijuana’’ and inserting ‘‘other 

10 than offenses involving the use, possession, or dis11 tribution of marijuana’’. 

12 (b) RIGHT TO REAPPLY OR RETURN.— 

13 (1) REAPPLICATION.—Any alien who was pre14 viously denied a visa to enter the United States as 

15 a direct result of the alien’s use, possession, or dis16 tribution of marijuana may reapply for admission to 

17 the United States. 

18 (2) REISSUANCE.—Any alien who was deported 

19 from the United States as a direct result of the 

20 alien’s use, possession, or distribution of marijuana 

21 shall be readmitted to the United States and re22 issued the visa that they had at the time of the 

23 alien’s deportation if the alien is not inadmissible 

24 under section 212(a) of the Immigration and Na25 tionality Act, as amended by subsection (a)(2). 


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1 SEC. 3. HABITUAL DRUNKARD REPEAL. 

2 Paragraph (1) of section 101(f) of the Immigration 

3 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(f)) is repealed. 

Æ 


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