Mikel Galicia
Audio By Carbonatix
Charley Crockett has been denied entry to Canada, citing a 2016 felony marijuana conviction in Virginia, which resulted in the cancellation of the Canadian leg of his current tour.
According to a letter from the Government of Canada posted on the singer’s social media, Crockett’s attempt to enter Canada was found to be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), a national law passed by the Canadian Parliament in 2002. The strict provisions of the law prevent foreigners with convictions for offenses in foreign nations, which, if committed in Canada, would carry a sentence of 10 years or more.
Crockett was arrested in Virginia in 2014 for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and drug trafficking. The singer was pulled over on Interstate 81 when officers found about six pounds of weed in his trunk. The Cardinal News reports Crockett spent about a month in county jail before being released on bond. The singer pleaded guilty in 2016, accepting a $10,000 fine, a 10-year suspended sentence and probation. Trafficking charges were dropped. A punitive judge could have handed the singer a 30-year sentence.
Canadians take drug charges a little more seriously than we do. Per the government’s letter, Crockett could have faced a life sentence in America’s Hat. Recreational cannabis use was legalized in Canada in 2018, permitting possession up to 30 grams. Still, illegal possession with the intent to distribute more than the legal amount is heavily governed by the Cannabis Act.
Crockett, whose first show was scheduled for tomorrow in Saskatoon, attempted to cross the border in Vancouver and then again in Kelowna on the western coast of Canada on Feb. 22.
“Everybody’s got a past. Mine’s still haunting me,” he wrote. “… I’ve been advised that it would jeopardize my freedom to try and enter again. I’m deeply sorry to announce the cancellation of my entire Canadian Tour.”
An arrest under IRPA can result in hefty fines, detention, deportation and a 10-year ban from re-entry.
Crockett will offer full refunds for all seven shows he had scheduled in the country.
“I know I let y’all down,” he wrote. “Canada’s such a beautiful country full of some of the best fans in the world, and I’ve had the time of my life playing shows for y’all. I ain’t one to quit and I aim to be back one of these days real soon.”
Crockett cut his teeth as a teenager busking on the streets of Deep Ellum. After vagabonding through the country, playing shows when he could, and dealing to make ends meet, Crockett returned to Dallas in 2015. He caught the attention of local legends like the Old ’97s and the Turnpike Troubadors, opening for both bands on the road. With 13 albums under his belt, Crockett signed his first major label deal in 2025, releasing three more albums since. As he rises, the artist has remained a sharp critic of right-wing country musicians and a fierce defender of Black artists.
Charley Crockett is the only real outlaw left in the country, and left out of Canada.
