Blaine-based attorney predicts ‘wall’ on northern border due to marijuana laws

Blaine immigration attorney Len Saunders speaking at a Canadian senate hearing in Ottawa on March 19. Courtesy photo

By Pat Grubb

Blaine immigration attorney Len Saunders is predicting the upcoming legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada will lead to a virtual wall on the Canadian border. Saunders spoke on Monday while appearing in front of Canada’s Standing Senate Committee on National Defense and Security that is examining the impact of C-45, a bill currently before Canada’s Parliament that will legalize the production, distribution and sale of cannabis across Canada.

The committee is mainly concerned with the implications of legalization insofar as they relate to border issues. The law is projected to go into effect around the beginning of July 2018; however, the provinces and territories have advised that they need 8 to 12 weeks after the legalization to make an orderly transition to the new framework, according to a government of Canada website.

Saunders, who has made frequent appearances on national news shows to discuss immigration and border issues, was invited to appear before the committee in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Saunders cited estimates that up to 40 percent of Canadians will try marijuana once it is legalized, and advised to senators that many of those people could be barred from entering the States for life should they admit to U.S. border officials that they have used the drug. He pointed out that the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, could be prevented from entering the U.S. once he leaves office and no longer travels on a diplomatic passport. Trudeau has admitted using marijuana in the past.

Although marijuana has been legalized by individual states across the U.S., it is still illegal at the federal level.

Once someone has been banned, they must apply for a waiver, a process that is expensive, lengthy and not always successful. Saunders recalled the case of Canadian Olympic snowboarding medalist Ross Rebagliati who admitted years ago on The Jay Leno Show that he used marijuana; Rebagliati has since required a waiver to allow enter the U.S.

Saunders called for extensive Canadian government outreach to educate Canadians on the implications of cannabis use and international travel. As an attorney, he said, he does not counsel travelers to lie about drug use to border officials. He added, however, that travelers do not have to answer such questions. Refusal to answer would result in the traveler being denied entry for that particular trip and not a lifetime ban.