An American lawyer has warned that Prince Harry's admission of drug use could jeopardize his US visa. The Duke of Sussex has revealed in his memoir "Spare" and TV interviews that he had
taken cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms in the past. The Heritage Foundation has now called for Harry's visa application to be released to determine whether he declared his drug use before emigrating to California with Meghan Markle in 2020. The conservative think tank is in a battle with Washington DC officials who are staunchly refusing to publish any details. The foundation said if border officials knew about his drug use, it raises questions about whether he received special treatment because he is a prince and his wife is a TV star, which they insist would be illegal. US immigration law has harsh penalties for lying to immigration officials, including deportation and being barred from applying for citizenship.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said that "an admission of drug use is usually grounds for inadmissibility. That means Prince Harry's visa should have been denied or revoked because he admitted to using cocaine, mushrooms, and other drugs." Mr. Rahmani added that there was "no exception for royalty or recreational use." However, Texas-based immigration lawyer Sam Adair said it was "unlikely that these admissions would present a problem" because there were no criminal convictions. Attorney James Leonard said that revealing in a book that "you experimented with drugs when you were a young man" would not be enough for immigration officials to launch an investigation into Harry's status.
It is not yet clear which visa Harry received when he applied to enter the US, so it is not known exactly what questions he was asked when he applied. The question on the ESTA application, which most UK tourists would use, is "Have you ever violated any law related to possessing, using, or distributing illegal drugs?" US officials can stop foreigners who have committed drug offenses from entering the country even if they have never been arrested and charged by police. Under US rules, suspected drug abusers applying for a visa may be required to answer additional medical history questions and take a medical exam to prove that they are not still a drug abuser before being allowed to enter the country. In high-profile cases where celebrities known to have taken drugs want to come to America, they have been invited into the US embassy in London to take a drugs test.
Prince Harry's case raises questions about whether he was given special treatment because he is a prince and his wife is a TV star, which they insist would be illegal. In his memoir "Spare" and the TV interviews that followed, Harry admitted to taking cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms. He said marijuana and psychedelics "really helped" with his "trauma" while cocaine was more a "social thing." Experts have insisted that US visa applications would usually be thrown out if there is any history of drug use. The Heritage Foundation says that if border officials knew about Harry's drug use, it raises questions about whether he was given special treatment, which would be illegal. MailOnline has approached representatives for Prince Harry for comment.