Canada’s legalization of recreational cannabis is going to cause problems at the border, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) report warns.
The document was previously classified and obtained by Global News via the Access to Information Act.
“Unless exemptions are made for personal amounts of marijuana, cannabis legalization may increase workloads for officers and translate into longer border wait times, particularly at land borders,” it reads.
Titled “Cannabis Legalization: Implications for the CBSA and Canada,” it states that border officials are concerned that people will cross the border carrying small amounts of cannabis for personal use, unaware that doing so still constitutes a crime under federal law of the United States.
Such complications and related requirements for greater police enforcement at the border will likely result in longer wait times, the report notes.
Canada was on track to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana by July 2018. However, earlier this month, the Senate said it required more time to review the new rules that have been proposed. It’s now unclear when the legislation will pass, although it will still likely be before the end of this year.
