Israeli Cannabis Researcher Deported from U.S. for “Drug Smuggling”
The Trump administration’s obsession with immigration enforcement has now reached the U.S. cannabis industry. According to media reports, Nevada has seen its first case of a foreign national being deported due to ties with the legal cannabis sector. Specifically, Israeli physician Dr. Shimon Abta was forced to leave the country after border officials attempted to charge him with illegal drug smuggling.
As reported by the Israel Telegraph Agency, Dr. Abta, an expert in plant science and medical cannabis applications, arrived in the U.S. several years ago at the request of his employer, the Israeli medical company Tikun Olam, to provide business consulting to American partners based in Nevada. Israel has been considered a global leader in medical cannabis research for nearly a decade, particularly known for its work on the therapeutic use of cannabinoids and the development of new methods for their consumption. Naturally, Nevada industry representatives view Dr. Abta as a key specialist who has contributed significantly to the local cannabis business.
Despite living in the U.S. for several years and being married to an American citizen, on January 8 of this year, immigration authorities suddenly accused Dr. Abta of drug trafficking, giving him only a few hours to pack his belongings and leave the country. Clearly, the scientist refused to go to jail, so he quickly gathered his things and left the U.S. However, authorities were not done making an example of him. When Dr. Abta was transferring to a flight to Europe at San Francisco airport, border officials demonstratively handcuffed him before escorting him to his plane.
Both Dr. Abta and the broader community expressed outrage at the authorities’ actions, calling it yet another show of force by the Trump administration, which had promised voters to crack down on immigrants allegedly smuggling illegal drugs into the country.
“I can say for certain that the authorities have never expelled anyone from the country for such a ridiculous reason before,” said Saul Kay, director of iCan: Israel-Cannabis, a company that previously worked with Dr. Abta.
Currently, Dr. Abta is seeking ways to fight the charges so he can return to Las Vegas, where his wife lives and where he recently purchased a five-bedroom home. Mrs. Abta herself does not understand the reasons for her husband’s persecution.
“Apparently, my husband was labeled a smuggler simply because he had an employee card from a cannabis company. It’s strange that the authorities aren’t using this excuse to go after the millions of Americans who also officially work in the cannabis industry,” Mrs. Abta told reporters.
Opponents of the deportation are now gathering signatures on a Change.org petition demanding that immigration authorities reverse their decision. You can read more about the petition here.