Blazing a trail is a risky business, and thousands of Canadians are finding out just how risky. Canada is blazing a trail by legalizing recreational marijuana across the country on Oct. 17, and people from store clerks to shop owners to frontline civil servants to senior government officials will be part of the transformation. But they could pay a heavy price for their employment if they try to step outside the country.
South of the border, the U.S. government says marijuana possession is still illegal federally, and it will come down hard on Canadian travellers who are involved in the new pot business.
On Monday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office warned that anyone involved in the “sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana” could be denied entry if they try to cross into the U.S. They could also be fined or detained.
That would include a lot of people, including the provincial employees who will wholesale marijuana.
If a U.S. border agent asks what you do for a living, and you reply anything to do with marijuana, you will likely be turned back. If you refuse to answer, you will definitely be turned back. If you lie, you could be banned from the U.S. for life.
Solicitor General Mike Farnworth is urging the federal government to help. It should help, as legalization is a federal initiative. But it’s unlikely that any pleas will move the Americans.
