Canada’s border agency seizes nearly £2,000 of illegal cannabis exports

According to an Aug. 24 press release from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the agency announced that it had recently seized 592 kilograms (about 1,305 pounds) of cannabis in a raid.

Using a CBSA sniffer dog in addition to “a wide array of detection tools and technology,” law enforcement was guided to 1,036 vacuum-sealed bags of “suspicious cannabis” destined for export on May 26. In addition to the first seizure, another seizure was conducted on June 26 containing 300 kilograms (661 pounds) in 100 sacks – a total of 892 kilograms (nearly 2,000 pounds) of cannabis between the two seizures.

“Regardless of the mode of entry (air, sea, land, rail), it is illegal to bring cannabis (and cannabis products) into or from Canada without a valid Health Canada permit or exemption,” the agency wrote in a press release. “CBSA officers have the authority to inspect incoming shipments as well as goods for export. Personal, postal, courier and commercial shipments are subject to Customs Law and may be inspected for prohibited goods, including cannabis and cannabis products. Avoid Seizure, Fines or Arrests: Do not import into Canada. Don’t take it out of Canada.”

Rahul Coelho, CBSA A/Director, Metro Vancouver District, Pacific Region, explained that exporting is legal only to those who have received the appropriate certification. “Although cannabis has been legalized and regulated in Canada, it remains illegal to import or export cannabis and cannabis products without a valid Canadian government permit or exemption,” said Coelho. “These significant seizures demonstrate our commitment to intercepting illegal narcotics – both importing and exporting – and directly helping to disrupt the activities of criminal organizations.”

According to Canada’s Cannabis Act, only licensed parties may import or export cannabis into Canada “for medical or scientific purposes only.” All individual shipments require a permit, and permit requests are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Cannabis exports to Canada were estimated at $53 million in 2020, a 229% increase over 2019 export data, according to Prohibition Partners. Between 2018 and 2020, Canada exported 30,000 kilograms (about 66,000 pounds) of dried medicinal cannabis and 35,500 liters (more than 9,000 pounds) of cannabis oil overseas.

Many other countries have legalized cannabis for import and export. Israel, one of the world’s leading countries for cannabis research, approved cannabis exports in May 2020. “This is a significant step for exporters and the Israeli industry, which will allow for both expanded export opportunities and increased employment… in the field” , said former Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen on the decision.

Last July, Colombia also legalized the export of medical cannabis, specifically for flowers. “Colombia is starting to play big and with this decree we are putting ourselves at the forefront of regulatory competitiveness, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Colombian President Ivan Duque. “We’re opening up the space to do a lot more in cosmetics… [including] Food and drink and even textiles.” Previously, Colombia passed legislation in 2016 to regulate the production and sale of cannabis, but exports remained banned until 2021.

A recent study found that cannabis flower is still the most popular method of consumption in Canada (according to data collected between 2018 and 2020). “The results underscore the rapidly evolving nature of the cannabis products market, including notable shifts in the types of cannabis products being used by consumers. … Although dried flower continues to dominate the market, it has begun to decline with a notable shift toward increasing popularity of processed cannabis products,” the researchers wrote of their findings. After flowering, edible cannabis and vape oils were the second and third most popular in the given time period.

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