The NDP wants the federal government to negotiate an arrangement with the United States that would ensure Canadians won’t be turned back at the border if they admit to having used cannabis once the drug becomes legal in July 2018.
“Frankly, I’m baffled that the Liberals have not had the foresight to anticipate this problem and begin dealing with this now,” said NDP health critic Don Davies during a press conference Thursday. “Without such an agreement, Canadians will be put in a terrible position of having to either lie to border officials or risk being denied entry.”
Davies said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should raise the issue directly with the Trump administration, and said he “wouldn’t be opposed” to it being part of NAFTA negotiations.
Though some states have legalized cannabis, the drug remains illegal under federal law in the U.S. If Canadians admit to having consumed marijuana to a border guard, they risk being banned for life and having to apply for special waivers to travel south of the border. If they lie and are caught, they also face a lifetime ban.
Maura Forrest – National Post – September 14, 2017.
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