According to a new federal report, the amount of illegal marijuana seized by the U.S. from Canada has increased by at least 929% since Parliament legalized cannabis.. Smoking potSmoking a hundred dollar joint .The federal report identified this surge in cross-border bootlegging as a “potential harm to Canada's international reputation,” said the federal report..“The quantity of cannabis seized on import at U.S. ports of entry that share a border with Canada has increased by at least 929% since domestic legalization,” said a department of Health study. “Experts who participated in the evaluation estimate the overall increase of illegal cannabis exportation from Canada worldwide since domestic legalization could be as high as 2,000%.”.“This illegal cannabis exportation was a serious concern for multiple interviewees, both internally and externally, as Canada does not want to be known as a ‘source’ country for cannabis and there is potential harm to Canada’s international reputation if this is not addressed,” said the report Horizontal Evaluation of the Legalization and Strict Regulation of Cannabis..Federal researchers said in a one-year period ending Sept. 30, 2021, the most recent figures available, U.S. Customs agents seized 70,823 pounds of Canadian cannabis at the border..Seizures had grown tenfold from the 6,446 pounds confiscated in 2018-19 when Bill C-45 An Act Respecting Cannabis came into force.. Cannabis seizures by the US at the US/CAN land border .“Since legalization, the reach and prevalence of online illicit cannabis sales has been a major challenge for both criminal intelligence and enforcement efforts,” said the report..“Online sales may also have been exacerbated by COVID-19 as increased levels of e-commerce have been noted since 2020.”.“Despite preparedness and public education by the Canada Border Services Agency, there has been a significant increase in unauthorized imports and exports of cannabis products across the border, particularly through e-commerce,” wrote researchers..Border agents faced “high rates” of bootlegging..The report also disclosed Parliament’s repeal of a 95-year criminal ban on marijuana had cost taxpayers $546.8 million, including additional expenses for the RCMP, Border Services Agency, department of Public Safety and department of Health regulators. The report did not estimate related costs for provinces, territories or municipalities..Tax revenues from marijuana sales are $1.6 billion annually, according to a Feb. 24 report Control and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages And Cannabis by Statistics Canada (StatsCan). .“Sales of recreational cannabis by provincial cannabis authorities and other retail outlets were $4 billion in 2021-2022, equivalent to $131 per person of legal age to consume cannabis,” said StatsCan.
