Cannabis and the border: what pot-smoking Canadians need to know
Len Saunders is an immigration lawyer practising in Blaine, Washington, a busy port of entry for British Columbians headed to the U.S. He said that while instances of Canadians being denied entry for smoking marijuana were once rare (he estimates he looked at only a few cases per year as recently as 15 years ago) they’re much more common now. He said he now manages one to two such cases per week.
“When Trump talks about building a wall on the southern border, I see a wall on the northern border for Canadians because of marijuana. There’s a brick wall going up on the northern border for Canadians if they answer truthfully whether they have smoked marijuana,” Saunders said during a recent appearance at a Senate committee studying the matter. While some U.S. states have dismantled prohibition — including Washington, a border state — possession remains a criminal offence federally. And the U.S. border is, of course, governed by federal law. “Although medical and recreational marijuana are legal in some U.S. states and Canada, the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana remain illegal under U.S. federal law,” Jason Givens, a public affairs specialist with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement. “Consequently, crossing the border with marijuana is prohibited and could result in fines, apprehension, or both.”
Original Article (CBC):
Cannabis and the border: what pot-smoking Canadians need to know
Artwork Fair Use: Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man)
