Canada wants to reopen border, reminding travelers that cannabis is banned

Cannabis is legal for adult use on both sides of some areas of the U.S.-Canada border, but that doesn’t mean you can get cannabis through customs on an international border. Don’t even think about it – because officials on both sides say they won’t tolerate it and it can still get you into serious trouble.

Canada will open its border to vaccinated American travelers starting Aug. 9, but while cannabis is legal for adult use in New York State and Canada, it is still illegal to take it with you between the two countries. It’s the same story in ports of entry in Washington state, Michigan, Maine, and other areas.

Travelers must have their vaccine at least 14 days prior to arrival at the border. Next, they need to provide all COVID-19 related information electronically via the ArriveCAN app or the web portal. Finally, travelers are required to provide physical proof of vaccination (i.e. a paper card) which must be presented at the border.

Canada has a border problem

It’s easy to forget a passport or, worse, forget you have weeds in the car when you don’t have a lot of time to turn the car around. But if you get caught with weed, you will almost certainly be denied entry to the U.S. regardless of state health cards, and you can get a ticket or be arrested at your own discretion.

Mike Niezgoda, a public affairs officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said there have been a number of smuggling cases despite cannabis being legal on both sides.

“We had an invasion that came in a helicopter that landed on Grand Island, north of Buffalo,” Niezgoda told WXXI News. In 2019, border guards found four duffel bags totaling more than 100 pounds of cannabis with an estimated street value of more than $ 100,000.

But Niezgoda sees minor violations happening more often – accidental smuggling because people have cannabis in their cars and forget about it. “Suppose you went to Toronto to watch the Maple Leafs play the Sabers, they bought marijuana, and then they forgot and then came back and saw it as soon as they saw the booth,” said he.

This could lead to potentially serious charges because U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials fail to abide by federal law.

What to do if you have cannabis at a Canadian port of entry

When Canada first legalized cannabis, the Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Public Security told Canadians to “be honest and tell the truth” when asked if they smoked weed on the US-Canadian border to have.

But U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials can ban you from entering the United States even if you admit you’re there to smoke cannabis and party. Because of this, an immigration attorney told Vice that he recommends keeping silent about plans to smoke weed when crossing the border.

Having cannabis in the car could be worse. The best thing to do is just pay attention to what’s in your car and avoid unintentional smuggling fees. Some ports of entry have places where you can do a U-turn and find a place to dispose of cannabis. “That depends on the port of entry,” said Niezgoda. “Some ports of entry have areas where they can turn back and others don’t.”

If travelers are caught throwing a bag of weed out a window, officials say they will be charged with garbage in addition to possessing cannabis. Officials claim it is better to declare cannabis in the vehicle, but doing so could result in a fine or arrest.

To avoid all of this, it would be advisable to leave the cannabis at home or dispose of it before it even reaches the limit.