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Canadians in Pot Industry May Have Trouble Crossing the U.S. Border

Canadians in Pot Industry May Have Trouble Crossing the U.S. Border

(Bloomberg) -- Canadians who travel to the U.S. for reasons related to the marijuana industry “may be deemed inadmissible” at the border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Canada’s legalization of recreational cannabis, which takes effect Oct. 17, has raised questions about whether people working in the industry could face problems at the U.S. border, where pot remains illegal at the federal level.

Canadian citizens who work in the legal marijuana industry and come to the U.S. for reasons unrelated to work “will generally be admissible to the U.S.,” the agency said in a statement dated Oct. 9. “However, if a traveler is found to be coming to the U.S. for reasons related to the marijuana industry, they may be deemed inadmissible.”

Canadians spent $19.8 billion on tourism south of the border in 2016, according to the International Trade Administration. A growing number of Canadians are employed by the cannabis industry, which now includes over 135 publicly traded companies.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kristine Owram in Toronto at kowram@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Courtney Dentch at cdentch1@bloomberg.net, Jacqueline Thorpe, David Scanlan

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.