In the U.S., the legal cannabis industry rakes in billions of dollars a year, expected to hit $45 billion by 2025. Meanwhile, the plant is already legal for adult use in 24 states and for medical use in 40. For many, that means booming businesses, shiny dispensaries, and a culture gone mainstream. For others, though, it’s been a nightmare: of the more than 120,000 immigrants deported in 2025, 600 were for marijuana-related offenses. And in three out of four cases, those charges were over five years old, according to Marijuana Moment.
Many of those arrested and deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had faced minor cannabis-related charges years earlier, far from the high-level offenses typically associated with drug enforcement.
An investigation by The Marshall Project—also published in Louisiana Illuminator and signed by Christie Thompson and Anna Flagg—reviewed accumulated data from the Deportation Data Project, which analyzed ICE’s official records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Hard data: Who is ICE deporting, exactly?
Between January and May 2025, more than 120,000 people were deported. According to ICE data (via the Deportation Data Project), most had no serious convictions:
67% (81,600 people): No criminal conviction at all.
8% (10,200 people): Only offense was illegal entry.
25% (30,000 people): Any other type of conviction.
Breaking it down by offense paints an even clearer picture:
Marijuana: 600+ deportations. 77% of cases are 5+ years old.
Drug possession (not cannabis): 900+ deportations. 40% of cases are 5+ years old.
DUI (driving under the influence): 4,800+ deportations. 32% of cases are 5+ years old.
Traffic offenses (e.g., driving without a license): 1,800+ deportations. 43% of cases are 5+ years old.
These numbers showcase how today’s deportation policy is not centered on dangerous individuals but on minor infractions, often old ones, in a country where more and more states are legalizing weed and the industry generates billions of dollars.
Petty offenses, extreme punishments
The …
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Author: Camila Berriex / High Times
