Looks like he didn't use common sense, more than once, or twice, or three times in his lifetime so far.
Applying for naturalization, where a comprehensive background check and a thorough database check and a good moral character clause is part of the process, when he had a conviction for illegal drugs and another conviction for a DUI -- at a time when he wasn't even allowed to buy a bottle of beer -- is kind of immigration suicide. So he stepped into the lions' den, and kicked the sleeping lions while challenging them and . . . voila . . . he got bitten!
Deportation carries usually a 10-year bar, but it can be a 20-year bar when having been convicted of a crime. I don't think that the pot possession made him inadmissible for life, assuming he had only a small quantity on him. Thus, the wife could apply for an I-212 waiver, for which she will have to prove that she is unable to move to the United Kingdom. I know they speak funny English there, but that's not reason enough. So she should consult with a waiver attorney who then will subpoena the husband's A-file and have a look what's inside. He will also advice her if there's a way to claim hardship at a degree that would warrant issuing a waiver.
