BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Seizures of marijuana and marijuana products at Western New York's U.S./Canada border crossings have skyrocketed since our neighbors to the north legalized recreation cannabis in 2018.
“We’re seeing it pretty steady and people are getting pretty creative now.”
On Monday, a CBP K9 at the Rainbow Bridge in Buffalo alerted to spare tires in a cargo van, leading CBP officers to discover 48lbs of marijuana hidden inside. https://t.co/nkfJYybRTf pic.twitter.com/7BhJ5NVQxW
— CBP (@CBP) August 17, 2019
From October to July of 2018, Customs and Border Protection officers seized 590 lbs of marijuana compared to over 3,000 lbs during the same time period in 2019.
Bowker says they are seeing increases in both personal use amounts and larger bulk shipments of marijuana and marijuana products like THC infused gummies, baked goods and vaping cartridges. Some of the products are clearly coming from legal retail stores.
“We are seeing it in both retail store packaging as well as bulk.”
Earlier this month, #CBP K9 Indy alerted to a shipment that had 15 pounds of marijuana concealed within installation foam. #PeaceBridgePOE #AlwaysVigilant pic.twitter.com/mBZC4vcJDk
— CBP Buffalo (@CBPBuffalo) August 15, 2019
Due to of the added enforcement load created by these cases, Bowker says there have been slightly longer wait times for the public at the border crossings as well.
