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Times have changed: Border officials concerned about pot crossing into Canada from Washington State

In 2012, Colorado and Washington citizens voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

When legal marijuana retail shops officially open in Seattle and the rest of Washington State, those bud-loving folks in British Columbia will surely be taking note, and most likely taking part.

Marijuana tourism is in intrinsic part of the U.S. state's bursting new industry, not only from neighbouring states but from Canada as well.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there was some concern that foreign travellers would cross the border with marijuana in tow, in direct violation of federal laws.

"Whether arriving or exiting the United States, seizure and civil monetary penalties remain in effect for possession of any amount of marijuana," a CBP spokesman told Yahoo Canada News in a statement.

"Foreign visitors who are found to have violated any Federal or State law or regulation relating to a controlled substance risk additional consequences and may be deemed inadmissible to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and barred from entry."

Washington and Colorado became the first regions in North America to formally legalize the use of marijuana two years ago, and the period since has been a learning curve for everyone from law enforcement agencies to businesses and recreational pot users.

Colorado officially rolled out its marijuana licences in January, while Washington's big launch came this week.

Reuters reports that Washington regulators have accepted more than 330 applications for marijuana retail licences, issuing a total of 25 licences with about 20 of those stores open for business on Tuesday.

Canada's own relationship with marijuana has gone through a recent shift, with the federal government stripping the production of medicinal marijuana from local growers and giving a few larger companies licences to grow the drug.

Noted Canadian marijuana advocate Marc Emery, set to be released from a U.S. prison on Wednesday after serving five years for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. residents through the mail.

Somewhat ironically, the mail-order delivery method used by those companies is reminiscent to the same service Emery once provided, though without crossing international borders.

It is at this point where many Canadians will join Washington's marijuana story, as they cross the border to join in the now-legal celebration. As the Globe and Mail notes, marijuana retailers in the Seattle area are expecting Canadians to be among their earliest customers, and customs officials are concerned about tourists bringing souvenirs back across the border.

“CBSA officers are mandated to enforce Canadian laws and regulations at our ports of entry and are committed to preventing illegal narcotics from entering into Canada,” the Canadian Border Services Agency told the Globe in a statement.

“Changes to American laws do not affect the CBSA’s mandate. In Canada, the possession of cannabis is illegal, and it is a criminal offence to import illegal drugs, including cannabis, into Canada."

Canadians customs officials worried about an influx of U.S. marijuana. Boy, how times have changed.

Check out this 2003 threat assessment from the U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center, noting the prevalence of marijuana flowing into Washington State from Canada.

Marijuana produced in Canada frequently is smuggled into Washington. Canada-based Asian criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese, and OMGs, primarily Hells Angels, as well as Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers based in Canada and Washington transport significant quantities of Canada-produced marijuana into the state. Canada-based Indian and Pakistani criminal groups also smuggle wholesale quantities of marijuana into the state, but to a lesser extent. Law enforcement officials in Bellingham, Blaine, Everson, Lynden, Mount Vernon, and Sumas--cities located near the U.S.-Canada border--report that the smuggling of Canada-produced marijuana into and through their jurisdiction is a significant problem.

That was more than a decade ago, and over time it seems the national concern about Canadian marijuana has declined.

A 2011 report from the National Drug Intelligence Center notes that "imports of high-grade marijuana from Canada appear to be decreasing as producers shift operations to the U.S. side of the border."

But by 2013, the National Drug Threat Assessment summary identified Mexico and growers in the U.S. as the major concerns, noting that "smaller quantities of high-potency marijuana" still crossed the Northern Border.

The prevalence of local marijuana has also changed the landscape in Washington, where local authorities were noting the reduction in smuggling from Canada as recently as 2012 - the year the state made weed legal.

"This locally-produced high potency marijuana may have replaced Canadian marijuana as seizures for BC Bud have declined at the Washington-British Columbia border," notes a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area situation report.

"Canadian marijuana is destined for other parts of the United States as the Pacific Northwest region becomes saturated with locally-produced marijuana."

The report further notes that "Southeast Asian growers have moved operations from Canada into Washington State in an effort to avoid potential border control problems during transport."

According to the Pacific Region Integrated Border Intelligence Team, the amount of marijuana seized at the border has been decreasing since 2009.

In 2011, 121 lbs. of marijuana were seized entering Washington from Canada. The year before that, 977 lbs. of marijuana was seized entering Washington from Canada.

And in 2009, 4,521 lbs. of marijuana seized entering Washington from Canada. This is significantly lower than the 2004 mark of 19,204 lbs. of marijuana seized at Washington border crossings.

Now, Canadians are crossing into the U.S. to smoke legally. Under strict rules and intense scrutiny, of course.

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