Charley Crockett has canceled his Canada tour dates after being denied entry to the country twice in one day due to a 2016 marijuana conviction.
Crockett attempted to cross the border in Vancouver and Kelowna but was turned away both times, despite performing in the country frequently in recent years. According to a document that Crockett posted to his social media accounts along with a note to fans addressing the cancelation, the denials stemmed from a nearly ten-year-old criminal conviction for possessing more than five pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute in the state of Virginia, for which he received a suspended sentence and ten years of probation—a term set to expire on March 22nd.
The document stated, “This offence if committed in Canada would equate to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) which is an indictable offence that would be punishable by a term of life imprisonment.” Notably, that part of the law was repealed in 2018 when cannabis was legalized in Canada for recreational use under the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45). Today, simple possession is allowed, but possessing more than 30 grams can result in a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for a term of up to six months, and selling outside the legal framework can result in up to 14 years imprisonment.
“Everybody’s got a past. Mine’s still haunting me,” Crockett said in the statement. He went on to explain he was “advised that it would jeopardize my freedom to try and enter again,” adding, “I’m deeply sorry to announce the cancellation of my entire Canadian Tour.”
The canceled tour dates total eight shows, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Niagara Falls.
“Full refunds will be issued at the point of purchase,” Crockett assured ticket-holders. “I know this doesn’t begin to make up for y’all’s time and hard earned money. I apologize to everyone affected. I know I let y’all down.”
As a touring musician with a large fanbase and legitimate commercial purpose, Crockett may have been eligible for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), sometimes informally called a Minister’s permit, which allows people who are otherwise inadmissible to enter Canada if the reason for entry is considered to justify it, but such authorization would have to be arranged well in advance, not at the border.
The singer, who has performed in Canada over a dozen times in recent years—most recently on August 28th, 2025 as part of his The Crooner and The Cowboy tour with Leon Bridges—closed his statement on a hopeful note. “Canada’s such a beautiful country full of some of the best fans in the world,” he wrote. “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. Yours truly, Charley.”
Read Crockett’s full statement below.
In other news, Crockett announced on Monday that the third and final album in his Sagebrush Trilogy—titled Age of the Ram—is due out April 3rd. Pre-order/pre-save the album here.
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