defined in section 7(a)(38) of the Small Business Act). (b) Other assistance A qualified State or local development company may not decline to provide assistance under this title to an otherwise eligible small business concern solely because such small business concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider (as defined in section 7(a)(38) of the Small Business Act). . 8. No discrimination in the provision of a federal public benefit on the basis of cannabis (a) In general No person may be denied any Federal public benefit (as such term is defined in section 401(c) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 ( 8 U.S.C. 1611(c) )) on the basis of any use or possession of cannabis, or on the basis of a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a cannabis offense, by that person. (b) Security clearances Federal agencies may not use past or present cannabis or marijuana use as criteria for granting, denying, or rescinding a security clearance. 9. No adverse effect for purposes of the immigration laws (a) In general For purposes of the immigration laws (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), cannabis may not be considered a controlled substance, and an alien may not be denied any benefit or protection under the immigration laws based on any event, including conduct, a finding, an admission, addiction or abuse, an arrest, a juvenile adjudication, or a conviction, relating to the possession or use of cannabis that is no longer prohibited pursuant to this Act or an amendment made by this Act, regardless of whether the event occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. (b) Cannabis defined The term cannabis — (1) means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not